


Don't Let Me Fall

by WrittenWithSwords



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Boners, Awkward Sexual Situations, Background Iruka/Kakashi, Bottom Uzumaki Naruto, But he's still a jerk, College, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Multi, Naruto is Just Naruto, One Night Stands, Plot, Romantic Fluff, SasuSaku - Freeform, Sasuke is not a complete asshole in this one, Sexual Tension, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Smut, Top Uchiha Sasuke, Tutoring, University, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Uzumaki Naruto is a Good Friend, and a whore, football player Naruto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-19 11:36:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29998770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WrittenWithSwords/pseuds/WrittenWithSwords
Summary: Naruto "Alpha" Uzumaki is a star quarterback on his university's football team struggling to keep his scholarship due to poor calculus grades. Sasuke Uchiha is a straight A student with his mind set on graduating top of his class, becoming a surgeon, and keeping up with his father's high expectations. When Naruto's grades slip, his coach introduces him to Sasuke as his tutor.I don't have a beta.  Don't be a bitch about it.
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 107
Kudos: 125





	1. Enter, Naruto.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello sluts! 
> 
> I've missed you.
> 
> While this particular fic doesn't involve murder, torture, and guns like my other fic, I still hope you'll give this more toned down SasuNaru a chance. This is kinda dumb and maybe cringe-y at times, but I wanted a more light hearted feel in my work this time. Haha! Let me know what you guys think in the comments because I love reading your thoughts and feedback.  
> For my returning readers-- hello cum dumpsters. I plan on keeping you whores well fed with fluff in this one.  
> And for my new readers, welcome to my harem. Make yourself comfortable.

The striking blue eyes of the quarterback flew open and scanned the football field, taking in the perfectly manicured turf, the stadium lights, the scoreboard, and then landing on a linebacker with a wide, ebullient grin and painted red fangs on his cheeks. 

“RED 54!” Naruto’s voice was rough and loud, piercing the frigid air sharply as he yelled out his command to prepare his teammates. Kiba Inuzuka winked, faced forward, and then adjusted his helmet as he took a deep breath. Naruto’s blue eyes shifted away from him, “RED 54! HUT!”

And then the ball was snapped into the quarterback’s hands. The crowd in the stadium cheered and screamed. Naruto took off down the field while Kiba ran close behind. Speed. Stamina. Agility. Split second decisions. Strong arms, strong leadership skills, and a strong sense of _“get the fuck out of my way!”_ All of these characteristics were embodied by the blonde, tan quarterback who was now dipping his shoulder forward, leaping up, and rolling off the back of the defensive player that had tried to knock him down. Two more of the opposing team’s players bolted forward, and Naruto managed to evade them as well before another appeared. 

_“MOVE,_ BITCH!” Kiba laughed as he tackled the man to the ground just before he could grab onto Naruto, The quarterback glanced over his shoulder briefly before he turned his attention back to the end zone, his own laughter coming out rushed and breathless with relief. 

Opposing defense lunged for Naruto’s legs, but the blonde was already bracing for his rebound, already bending his knees, already shooting his arm out to catch his balance. He juked left, dipped right, and then bounced his feet before he could hit the ground completely to continue his sprint. He screamed out with excitement as he crossed the ten yard line. _Game over._ He grinned against his mouth guard and just as another player moved to block him, he scrambled out of the way, holding up a stiff arm to shove the man away. 

Naruto turned his back to the end zone, and he ran backwards before twirling on his toes and allowing himself to fall backward into the zero yard line. The crowd went batshit wild, and Naruto shot to his feet, slamming the ball to the ground before he began to dance to the sound of the crowd chanting “U-ZU-MA-KI” on his right hand side. His team mates rushed him, and he was snatched into the air with whoops and shouts of celebration. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ayo, Alpha!” Kiba clapped Naruto on the shoulder before dragging him in to wrap his arm around his neck, “You were sexy on that field tonight!” 

Naruto laughed, “I’m sexy on that field _every night_ ,” 

“You’re right-- that’s right, baby,” Kiba nodded as he laughed, and then he swiveled his head to check out a cheerleader walking past him. He grinned appreciatively and then turned back to the blonde, “Whatchu doin’ tonight?” 

“Gettin’ drunk and gettin’ fucked,” Naruto smirked as he reached up and pulled his helmet off. Kiba snorted and rolled his eyes as if he should have known the answer. And he should have, because that was always the plan after a football game. Play ball. Get drunk. Have sex. Rinse, repeat. 

“Well, that’s crazy,” Kiba pulled his helmet off as well, and his grin widened, “Cause I see a couple of baddies that look like they’re in need of a dick down,” 

Naruto laughed, and he looked over to where Kiba gestured. Two cheerleaders stood whispering amongst each other, shooting glances at the football players as they did. One of them flicked her box braids over her shoulder, looked Naruto in the eyes, and then glanced away with a smirk. The blonde grinned. 

“I want that one,” Naruto nodded towards the pretty, dark skinned woman, and Kiba chuckled as he looked at the tan redhead with long legs standing beside her. 

“That’s alright, ‘cause I’m good with some ginger,” 

They walked over, but before either of the men could speak, the red haired woman held up her hand to stop them, “Don’t even try it,” 

Naruto’s eyebrows shot up. Kiba laughed, “Damn. Just like that?!”

“What’s with the hostility?” Naruto shot her a charming smile, before he turned his gaze onto the other girl whose head was now tilted to the side. Her glossy lips were curved into an amused smile, “We just wanna say hello. What’s your name, gorgeous?” 

“O’nika,” She leaned against her friend, putting her arm up onto the redhead’s shoulder as her eyes raked over the blonde’s body. Her eyes scanned Naruto’s broad shoulders, biceps, and then lingered on his crotch before they shot up again to meet his smug, cerulean gaze.

“O’nika,” Naruto let the name roll off his tongue slowly, and the cheerleader’s eyes fell to his lips as he said it, “Yeah, that’ll do,” 

“That’ll do?” She raised her eyebrows. 

“Yeah. Beautiful name,” The blonde stepped forward with a dazzling grin, “Too bad you won’t remember it by the end of tonight,” 

Her jaw dropped, and she laughed as she shook her head. Her friend giggled and she spoke again, “That’s too cocky! You gotta big ego, white boy,” 

Naruto and Kiba exchanged a knowing look, and they laughed as well. 

“Should we tell ‘em why?” The blonde’s charming grin morphed into a full blown goofy one. 

“Let ‘em know, Alpha,” Kiba began to roll his shoulders, grinning and dancing to the tune in his head, before he pulled his phone out and called Naruto’s number. 

“Cause it’s too big! It’s too wide! It’s too strong!” Naruto sang as he tossed his helmet aside and threw his arms up. His fingers snapped to the beat of the song that was his ringtone, and his hips swayed. 

“It won’t fit! It’s too much! It’s too tough!” Kiba sang along now, and both men were rolling and thrusting their hips, causing the cheerleaders to giggle at the frivolous, goofy show, “He talk like this ‘cause he can back it up!” 

“He gotta big ego!” Naruto let the lyrics roll with the pace his hips did. Kiba put his hands on his knees and he began to slowly twerk next to Naruto in time to the rhythm, his smooth movements made the girls laugh harder, while also slightly cringing at the display, “Such a huge egooo!” 

Kiba clenched his fist around his phone like he was holding a microphone, and he held his hand out to the redhead, who laughed and shook her head before she sang the next phrase of Beyonce’s song, “I love his big ego, it’s too much! He walk like this cause he can back it up,” 

Kiba bobbed his head in approval, chuckling softly, “Eyyy!”

“Clowns,” O’nika rolled her eyes and shook her head, but her laughter didn’t subside, “Y’all are so fucking _corny,”_

“Aw, come on,” Naruto chuckled, and his cheeks flushed a soft, pink color. He cocked his head to the side and smiled sweetly at the girl. 

“But, I guess it’s kinda cute,” O’nika conceded, and she rolled her eyes, “So, we’ll let it slide,” 

“Chill with us tonight?” Kiba turned to look at the redhead, and she blushed as she nodded. O’nika took the cell phone Naruto held out to her. 

“Talkin’ all that shit...” O’nika smirked as she put her number into his contacts list. She looked up at Naruto, and she raised a brow, “But can you walk it like you talk it?” 

“Walk, jog, _and_ run it,” Naruto reached out and took his phone back before he kissed her cheek. His lips brushed her ear as he lowered his voice, “Call it a marathon, ‘cause I’m goin’ all night,” 

“Oh, it’s like _that?”_ O’nika raised her eyebrows as she turned her head to look at him sideways. 

“Yeah, just like that,” The blonde tilted his chin up to regard the woman with a half lidded gaze. 

She shook her head and glanced away, flustered by the man’s wandering eyes. The blonde picked his helmet back up and slipped it onto his head. Naruto grabbed Kiba’s arm just as he was taking his own phone back, and they jogged towards the locker room together, laughing when Kiba commented something under his breath about switching partners in the middle of the night. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Good class discussion today, guys!” Dr. Loren’s voice was cheerful when she walked up to the podium again, and turned off the projector, “Remember to read chapter six for our next Socratic circle. If you haven’t already, pick up your exam on your way out, please!” 

Students packed up their belongings and shuffled towards the door. Naruto got to his feet and trudged towards the podium, where he watched as Dr. Loren handed back midterm exams. Her young, pretty face was neutral, but when he stepped up, her demeanor quickly shifted into something a bit more lively and bubbly. 

“Mornin’ Doc,” he gave her a charming smile, “How’s your day goin’?”

“Better, now,” Her smile was coy as she flipped through the papers in her hand in search of Naruto’s test, “Great game the other night, by the way,” 

“Thanks,” Naruto’s lips curved into a cute, sweet grin, and the woman’s smile widened. 

When she got to his test, she made a face, “Oh...looks like we didn’t do so well on this one, Naruto,” 

Naruto reached out to take the paper she held out to him. His cheeks flushed, and his eyebrows furrowed, “What? But I studied for two weeks straight!” 

Dr. Loren nodded, giving him an apologetic look, “Well, maybe you can stop by my office hours, and we can talk about it. My office is on the third floor. Come by on Wednesday!” 

“I thought your office hours were on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” Naruto looked up at her with confusion, but the woman only waved her hand dismissively. 

“Right, but for the university’s star quarterback? I’m willing to make an exception,” She reached out and rubbed his upper arm, and her hand lingered there for a moment longer than necessary. Naruto chose to disregard the touch, “We can sort this out, together,”

“Okay!” Naruto’s face lit up in a bright, goofy grin, “What time should I come by?” 

“Well, my evening classes are wrapped up around 8 p.m. so you can drop by around that time, too,” She leaned forward on the podium and flicked her long, brown curls over her shoulder to expose the side of the neck. Naruto’s gaze flickered over the smooth skin of her throat before he glanced back up at her face. 

“Great,” Naruto shoved the disappointing midterm exam into his bag as he began to walk towards the door, “See you later, Doc!” 

“Bye, Naruto,” She giggled as she watched the blonde leave the room, her eyes lingering on the man’s broad shoulders and round bottom. He could feel her gaze following him. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday night rolled along, and Naruto found himself walking into his old fuck buddy’s crowded apartment with a six pack of beer, a pocket full of condoms, and a need to drown his stress in the arms of a one night stand. The party at Neji’s place was a bit more rambunctious than Naruto thought it would be. Neji was not the type to host parties, and he was definitely not the type to host them in his own apartment. Both of these factors played a huge role in the reason why Naruto even bothered to show up. If Neji Tight Ass Hyuuga throws a party, then hell was freezing over, and the blonde was sure as fuck not going to miss _that._

Naruto’s eyes scanned the room until they landed on a head of chestnut brown hair. As if he felt the blonde’s gaze, Neji turned his head and their eyes met. Naruto’s lips curved into a soft smile, and the Hyuuga abandoned the group of people he was chatting with in order to stumble over to his late guest. 

“Sup, Tight Ass,” Naruto’s voice was tinged with warmth and humor when he greeted the beautiful man who was now rolling his eyes and smiling at him, “Blink twice if you’re being held here against your will,” 

Naruto knew the man was about as introverted as anyone could get, so seeing him interact with people, hosting parties, and even smiling felt like he had walked into a trap. Neji chuckled softly and he shook his head. 

“I am not a hostage,” The brunette slurred his words and shrugged his shoulder in a manner that was too relaxed compared to his usual rigidity, “I am simply intoxicated,”

Naruto grinned, “It was Shika wasn’t it? He got you fucked up, huh?” 

Neji’s face shifted into a more somber expression, and the man nodded solemnly. Naruto threw his head back in laughter, and he wrapped his arm around Neji as his eyes scanned the room to find Shikamaru, the lazy genius who spent his days smoking pot and playing chess. Neji’s head fell on the blonde’s shoulder as he leaned into Naruto’s embrace. 

“Let’s get you someplace quiet,” Naruto spoke into the man’s ear as he watched Neji’s eyes fall shut tiredly. The brunette smiled again, and he turned his head to plant an open mouthed kiss on Naruto's neck. The blonde’s cheeks flushed lightly at the sensation of Neji’s tongue on his skin. Naruto disregarded the man’s wandering mouth, and he guided Neji towards his bedroom. 

Once inside, he gently helped Neji into bed and pulled the blanket over him. Neji pulled a pillow close to his chest and he hugged it tightly. His soft smile hadn’t left his face, and his long, luscious locks were messy and splayed out on the bed in every direction. It made Naruto laugh to see a man who was usually so composed, polite, and classy turn into a snuggly, drunk baby. The blonde went to the kitchen to fetch some pain medicine and a bottle of water, and he brought it back to Neji’s room to place on the bedside table near the man’s head. The brunette was already fast asleep when the blonde returned. 

“Damn,” Naruto smirked as he turned off the light, twisted the lock on the doorknob from the inside, and shut the door to the man’s bedroom on his way out of it, “Bastard finally took the stick out of his ass, and I wasn’t even there to enjoy it,” 

In an hour, Naruto was two bottles of beer into the night and he was standing in the middle of the Neji’s living room, swaying and dancing between three women that didn’t know anything about personal space. Their hands roamed his body, grabbed at his shirt, squeezed his biceps, fondled his ass. The blonde, however, was in his own world. His eyes were closed, his movements were slow and languid despite the fast tempo of the music. He tilted his head back as he brought the bottle of beer to his lips and took the final gulp before it was empty. He felt someone press against his body, and hands grabbed at his hips to close the distance completely. 

The blonde’s eyes fluttered open and he looked down at a pink haired woman who seemed to be just as tipsy as he was. He grinned as the woman turned her back to him, and grabbed his wrists to pull his chest against her. She wrapped his arms around her waist, and when she began to dance, her hips swayed and her ass pressed against Naruto’s pelvis. The blonde grinned as his cheeks flushed, and he moved his hips with her pace. She let go of his wrists, and reached back to run her fingers slowly into his hair. She tilted her head back against his shoulder, and he noticed her eyes fell closed. She, too, was in her own world. 

Naruto chuckled softly and his eyes fell away from the woman to scan the room as his hands absentmindedly roamed her body. She was beautiful, but she wasn’t what Naruto was craving tonight. He wanted someone firm, solid. Someone to completely dominate and use up without having to worry about hurting them. Naruto was looking for a man to fuck through the night and into the morning. 

He searched the crowd, but no one really popped out at him-- until his sparkling blue eyes met fierce, black ones. Naruto’s breath hitched as he took in the sight of the most beautiful man he had ever laid his eyes upon. Wild, black hair fell past the man’s jawline and skimmed the top of his shoulders and framed the sides of his face. Scarlet cupid’s bow lips, curved into an icy smirk. Pale, unblemished skin. Sharp jawline, clenched and chiseled. Broad shoulders, narrow hips-- the mesomorphic physique of a fighter. Tall-- a good few inches taller than Naruto. The blonde’s lips parted and his tongue unconsciously shot out to lick his lips. His cerulean gaze followed the sharp lines and edges of the raven haired man’s body, taking in the black v-neck shirt underneath a leather jacket and the dark, ripped denim jeans. Skinny jeans but… no cuffs at the ankles. Shoes that probably cost more than necessary. Naruto quickly assessed the man’s appearance. _Probably straight...maybe bisexual?_ Where was the gaydar when he needed it?!

The raven stepped towards him, and Naruto’s heart leapt into his throat. The man’s face was graced with a chilling smile, but in his eyes, Naruto saw rage. The blonde blinked, confused at the sight. The raven continued to approach him. And then the woman in Naruto’s arms was being pulled away. The blonde blinked and craned his head around the other women that surrounded him to see the raven pull the pink haired woman into his own arms. He looked down at the woman briefly, before he looked back up at Naruto. The flaring anger in the man’s dark eyes quickly sobered the blonde up. The woman looked over at Naruto, and she said something to the raven that caused the man to sneer in disgust at the blonde. Naruto swallowed thickly. He was so confused, and yet he couldn’t properly piece together his thoughts to even address what he was so confused about. The sight of the raven haired man put Naruto in a trance, and he was so dazed he couldn’t even fucking _think_. 

“Bruh,” Shikamaru’s voice was bored and low against Naruto’s ear, and the blonde jumped at the man’s sudden appearance, “That’s his girlfriend,” 

_Oh._ Naruto turned his head to look over at his friend, who wore an easy smirk. Shikamaru raised his eyebrows, as if he was mildly impressed with Naruto’s ballsy actions. The blonde blinked again before he turned to the raven, but the man and the pink haired woman were already gone. They had disappeared into the crowd, and Naruto’s eyes strained against the dim room for a moment as he tried to find them.

“Shit,” Naruto’s eyebrows furrowed in disappointment. 

“She isn’t that pretty, anyway,” Shikamaru shrugged and brought his joint up to his lips. 

Naruto shook his head, and sighed, “No… but _he_ is,” 

“True,” Shikamaru nodded slowly as he blew smoke out of his nose, “He’s fucking gorgeous,” 

“It’s fine. He probably already fucking hates me too much to fuck with me, anyway,” Naruto shook his head at the lost opportunity to shoot his shot. Girlfriends haven’t stopped the blonde from getting anything before. 

“That,” Shikamaru laughed as he walked away, “And the fact that he’s _straight,”_

_Well, **that's** a fucking bummer._ Naruto sighed and he wandered off the dance floor in search of another beer. Where had he put his own pack? He found himself in the empty kitchen of Neji’s apartment, and he instantly walked over to the fridge. Neji was the type of person who didn’t buy unnecessary things, didn’t decorate his apartment, or waste money on food that wasn’t healthy or beneficial. He was spartan in all sense of the word, and it always frustrated Naruto when he opened the man’s fridge to see nothing but vegetables, fruits, bread and water bottles.

“For fuck’s sake,” Naruto muttered, “This man needs more dick in his life,” 

When he shut the fridge and backed away, he bumped into something-- no _someone--_ solid. He turned around to see a man with bright orange hair with a dark, somber expression on his face. Three metal bars pierced through the man’s nose, and his lower lip was pierced with two more that ended in sharp curves. Naruto’s eyes roamed to the man’s ears-- also adorned with several piercings. His eyes were a pale color blue and when the man reached up to brush his hair out of his face, Naruto’s eyes landed on the man’s painted red fingernails. And even though this man wasn’t the raven haired man, the orange haired stranger was still attractive, and Naruto could work with it. 

The orange haired man cocked his head to the side at the blonde’s prolonged staring, and his eyebrows furrowed in offense. Naruto cleared his throat and he stepped aside to let the man reach into the fridge and retrieve a water bottle. 

“Staring is rude,” the man muttered with his back to Naruto. How did he even know the blonde was still staring?

“I can’t help it,” Naruto’s cheeks burned with slight embarrassment, but he smiled, “You’re a sight for sore eyes,” 

The man turned around to regard the blonde, and his eyes swept over Naruto’s body. His voice was rough when he spoke again, “You’re not too bad yourself,” 

Naruto’s face flushed a deeper shade of pink, and the man blinked slowly as he watched it happen. His eyes fell to the blonde’s pretty, pink lips and his face shifted into an expression of fascination. He stepped forward and Naruto slowly reached up to lightly trace his fingers over the man’s lip piercing. The orange haired man leaned into the touch, allowing Naruto to shift from light brushes to full contact, skin on lip. The blonde traced the man’s lower lip with his thumb. 

“What's your name, handsome?” Naruto tilted his head to the side, and a gentle smile curled his lips. The man’s eyes darkened as his pupils grew. His eyes were fixated on the blonde’s smile. He had never seen something so sweet and so freely given. 

“Pain,” He breathed out as he moved closer. 

“And why do they call you that?” Naruto chuckled softly at the angsty answer. 

“Because it’s all I know,” His pale blue eyes pierced into Naruto’s with fierce lust and the blonde’s eyebrows rose at the man’s intensity. 

“Alright, _Pain,”_ Naruto cupped the man’s cheek and he leaned forward so their lips were inches apart. The blonde smirked, and his voice fell to a husky, low murmur that made the orange haired man’s body shudder slightly, “Let me introduce you to pleasure,” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Alright, take a cooldown lap!” Kakashi blew into his whistle and made a twirling motion with an index finger. He watched his football team trudge tiredly towards the outskirts of the field, and his eyes searched for a blonde head of hair, “Uzumaki, may I have a moment?” 

“Yes coach!” Naruto jogged over the silver haired man, his cheeks flushed and his body glistening with sweat. When he came to a stop in front of Kakashi, he grinned brightly , “What’s up?” 

“We have to discuss these grades of yours, Naruto,” Kakashi crossed his tattooed arms as he regarded the blonde with a stern look. Naruto’s smile faltered. 

“Oh, okay, listen--” Naruto reached up to scratch the back of his head, “Uh, I’ve--” 

“Your GPA has fallen to a 3.3, and you need a 3.5 to play,” Kakashi raised his eyebrows, “You could lose your scholarship if you keep this up,” 

Naruto’s eyes fell shut and he groaned, “Ugh, I know, I know. I’m tryin’ to stay on top of it. It’s just hard...I’m not good with numbers, coach,” 

“You need a tutor?” Kakashi tilted his head in thought. 

“Yes…” Naruto sheepishly nodded, and his voice fell as he looked away. He seemed slightly embarrassed now, “But I can’t afford one right now…”

Kakashi nodded slowly. He knew the only reason Naruto could even study at the university was through a full ride, football scholarship, and money was tight in his household. In fact, it was Kakashi who paid for the blonde’s football gear his first year because he knew the boy had talent and he needed him on that field. Kakashi’s hand came up to rub his chin slowly, and then he nodded again. 

“I know someone who needs volunteer hours for their Pre-Med track,” Kakashi reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, “He’ll tutor you as a form of community service,” 

Naruto winced, “Okay, that hurts my pride a little, coach. I don’t wanna be someone’s charity work,” 

Kakashi smirked and he pointed to the field, “Five laps!” 

“Five?!” 

“Six, now, because pride is a _sin,_ Naruto,” Kakashi’s angular eyes curled upwards as his smile widened, making them look like little crescents. He reached out and ruffled Naruto’s blonde locks fondly. He had a soft spot for Naruto, and he wouldn’t admit it but the sweet blonde had weaseled his way into the coach’s heart. 

Naruto laughed before he turned around and began to run his laps with his teammates. Kakashi dialed the number of his most talented martial arts student, and he brought the phone up to his ear. 

“Uchiha-san,” Kakashi smirked when he heard Sasuke’s respectful greeting on the other end, “I’ve got a job for you,”


	2. Enter, Sasuke

The complex melody of _La Campenella_ streamed from the piano and filled the living room of the Uchiha residence. Sasuke sat on the edge of the bench with a straight back and slender, pale fingers flitting across the blood stained keys, letting the beautiful notes and sounds emerge from the tips of his fingers. Fugaku Uchiha, his father, stood beside him, watching the raven’s hands intently. In his own hand, he held a stick-- long, thin, wooden. Fugaku looked up at his son’s face to see Sasuke’s eyes were closed, recalling the musical symbols that were etched into the back of his eyelids. Sasuke bit his lip, and Fugaku raised his stick. He knew his son well enough to know that he bit his lip just before a mistake. Sasuke’s fingers trembled, faltered, and there it was. A mistake.

“Ude!” _[Arms]_ Fugaku commanded, and Sasuke’s eyes flew open as his hands came up from the keys, and he raised his arms to rest them on the fallboard, just above the piano keys. 

The raven’s eyes fell shut again as he braced himself. Fugaku’s hand came up, and the thin wooden stick lashed out in fast, striking whips that tore into Sasuke’s skin. Sasuke’s eyes squeezed shut against the sharp pain, and he waited until Fugaku lashed out again, adding more marks, more scars, and more blood to the raven’s arms. When his father was done, Sasuke looked down at his arms, and he inspected the horizontal cuts, comparing them to the older, more faded scars beneath them. 

“Futatabi sore o okonau!” _[Do it again!]_

Sasuke pulled his arms down and he brought his fingers to the keyboard again. He inhaled deeply, willing the notes to come back to his mind. He worked only from memory as his hands began to move again. Fugaku waited with his arms behind his back, hands clasped together around the wood, watching Sasuke’s fingers move quickly to piece the melody together and bring it back to life. Sasuke was doing well, and the beautiful, sweet chimes of the keys flowed smoothly together. Until his fingers once again faltered on a complicated combination, and Fugaku’s eyebrows furrowed with rage. 

“Ude!” 

Once again, Sasuke’s arms came up to rest against the board. His blood dripped onto the keys, but neither of the men cared. Fugaku whipped the thin stick against his son’s flesh, aiming a bit higher up, near the elbows. The pale, unblemished skin there would now be scarred as well. Sasuke swallowed thickly, and he repressed his groan of pain. It died in his throat, right next to the lump that formed there. 

“You’re sloppy, today, Sasuke,” Fugaku’s tone was dangerous now as he peered into his son’s face. 

“Sumimasen,” Sasuke’s voice was quiet, and that only made his father angrier. He often associated his son’s quiet demeanor with weakness. 

“I don’t want an apology,” Fugaku leaned down so he was at eye level with the raven, “I want to know why I have raised an _idiot!_ ” 

Sasuke’s cheeks flushed lightly and he glanced away from his father’s piercing eyes, “If I could just see the sheet music once more, father, I could--” 

“You want to see the sheet music?!” Fugaku pulled away in disgust. 

Sasuke’s cheeks flushed a deeper red. A mistake. It was always a mistake to ask for help or assistance, even if this particular piece was new to him. Even if this particular piece was known to be complicated. Even if the greatest pianists themselves often struggled with it. Sasuke was not allowed to express his struggles, not allowed to appear incompetent, not allowed to be anything less than great. 

“Do it again,” Fugaku’s voice was rough and tinged with fury, “From the beginning. Do it again, Sasuke!” 

Sasuke swallowed his emotions, brought his hands back down to the keys of the piano, and he started again. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“We’ve been over this, Sasuke,” the psychologist’s patience slightly wavered as he spoke now, but his voice remained calm, “You cannot just say you’re fine and not--” 

“I am, though,” Sasuke muttered his lie, and his anger flared when the man didn’t believe him, “I’m fucking _fine,”_

Dr. Kabuto Yukushi’s office was dimly lit with a single lamp and decorated with plush furniture that was intended to make his clients feel comfortable and open. Sasuke Uchiha was not fucking comfortable or open. In fact, Sasuke was doing his best to repress his desire to jump to his feet, flip the coffee table over, and snatch the other man up by his collar only to throw him out of the third story window. The raven inhaled deeply and his eyes fell shut. 

“What is _this_ emotion, Sasuke?” the psychologist leaned forward, his voice prodding the raven gently. 

“This emotion is called _‘fine,’_ Dr. Yukushi,” Sasuke’s eyes flew open to glare at the silver haired man. 

“Please, call me Kabuto. Titles aren’t important here,” The man reached up to fix his glasses, and when he parted his lips to speak again, Sasuke cut him off. 

“That’s bullshit,” Sasuke rolled his eyes before he let them wander around the room to take in the sight of the multiple diplomas, plaques of honor, and medals on Kabuto’s wall, “Look at how proud you are of yourself-- your success. Look at how you display it for everyone to see. The title matters. You know it, I know it. Because then... how else would anyone know how competent you are, _Kabuto?_ ” 

Kabuto cocked his head to the side, intrigued. Sasuke had never spoken this much in the past sessions. The raven noticed the look of fascination on the doctor’s face and he sneered before he glanced away. 

“Why did that make you upset?” Kabuto needed Sasuke to keep talking. 

“Because it’s just another fucking lie. We just fucking lie. Meiwaku desu,” _[It’s annoying-- slang.]_

“English, Sasuke,” Kabuto wanted to point out that Sasuke used the word ‘we’ instead of ‘you’ in his statement, but he decided that was an issue that could be addressed later, “Tell me more about it in English, please,”

The raven sighed heavily, and he leaned back in his chair, burying his face into his hand. Kabuto’s chest deflated with disappointment. This was the point in the session when Sasuke would shut down and become unresponsive. Kabuto decided to work from a different angle. 

“Do you want to talk about the incident…?” 

Sasuke’s hand fell away from his face, and his cheeks flushed with blatant rage, but his voice was still quiet when he spoke, “No,” 

“Why not?” Kabuto leaned back in his chair, satisfied he was able to draw another response out of the raven before he completely shut himself off. 

“I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t _ever_ want to talk about it,” Sasuke’s eyes narrowed dangerously at the man, and Kabuto had to force himself to maintain eye contact. 

“That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?” A pause, “You came to seek peace, Sasuke. You’re troubled by what happened, and you came to re--” 

“I came because of Itachi,” Sasuke interrupted, “I came for _him,”_

“Why?” Kabuto leaned forward now. This was good. This was going in the right direction, “Why do you do this for Itachi and not for yourself?” 

Sasuke’s eyebrows furrowed. He paused, and his eyes fell away from Kabuto to glare at the rug on the floor. Kabuto watched the raven’s face intently, watching the gears turn in Sasuke’s head. And when his dark eyes came up to meet Kabuto’s, there was confusion in his gaze. The anger slowly faded from his eyes. They were both silent for a long time. Kabuto let the silence stretch on. It was a technique that he often had to use with Sasuke to allow the raven some time to reflect. Introspection-- feeling his own emotions, dissecting his own thoughts, reflecting on his own actions, desires, needs-- none of that was Sasuke’s forte, though. 

“I don’t know,” Sasuke replied flatly, and he looked away. His eyes landed on the window and stayed there. Kabuto repressed the urge to sigh. 

“Very well,” Kabuto nodded slowly. He got to his feet and walked back over to his desk, “Our session is almost over. I was going to give this to you during next week’s session, but I think it’d be best if I gave it to you now,”

Sasuke looked up to see Kabuto holding out a black, leather bound journal, “This is something new I want us to try,” 

Sasuke reached up and took the journal from Kabuto, inspecting it silently. 

“I know you struggle to voice your emotions and how you’re feeling,” Kabuto’s voice was soft now, “Instead of talking about them out loud, let’s try writing them down, first. Just take a moment, every night, and write something down. It doesn’t have to be much-- just _something._ Write about your day, or perhaps write about something you saw that day, or maybe even just a small sketch of something that made you feel some way. Whatever you’re feeling, whatever you’re thinking, just write it down. We can start there,” 

Sasuke shook his head and looked up at the psychologist doubtfully, “You want me to keep a _diary?”_

“It’s not a diary, really. It’s more like--” 

Sasuke scoffed, his eyes rolling upwards as he chuckled humorlessly, “Majide saiaku,” _[seriously, you’re the worst-- slang]_

“In English, please.” 

“Fuck off,” Sasuke tossed the journal onto the coffee table and got to his feet. 

“Sasuke,” Kabtuo shook his head, picked up the journal and held it out to the raven, “Give it a try, at least. We’ll just test it out for a while, and we can see where we can go from there,” 

Sasuke sneered. 

“For Itachi,” Kabuto added, “Do it for him…”

Sasuke hesitated for a split second, and then he quickly reached up to snatch the journal from Kabuto’s grasp before he stormed out of the office, slamming the door shut. 

“...until you can start doing it for yourself,” Kabuto finished quietly. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sakura’s room was, decidedly, too fucking pink. Sasuke’s dark eyes took in the sight of the pink walls, the pink dresser, the pink comforters, and the pink rug before his eyes fell onto his pink haired girlfriend. She was texting on her phone, too distracted to notice his gaze on her. His eyes wandered down her bare chest, her waist, and then along her pale, creamy legs. His gaze came back up. Sasuke watched her fingers tap the screen a few times, and then she grinned when a notification popped up. Sasuke sighed and climbed off the bed. He began to pull his pants on. Sakura looked up at him. 

“You’re heading out?” 

“Yes,” His reply was clipped. 

Her green eyes fell back to her phone screen, not even noticing the edge in his tone or the anger in his eyes. She smiled at another text notification. Sasuke’s jaw clenched, and he glared at her as he slipped his shirt on. He grabbed his wallet and keys from the bedside table and looked up again as the woman giggled and ran her fingers through her hair. When he leaned down to kiss her, she tilted her phone to block the screen from his view before she tilted her head up and pressed her lips to his softly in a small peck. She reached up to touch his hair and he gently pushed her hand away. He fucking hated it when she touched his hair. He hated it when _anyone_ did it, but especially when _she_ did it. And she knew that, but she always reached for it, anyway. It was infuriating.

“Let me walk you out” she chirped, gathering the blanket around her naked body as she stood up. She turned off the phone’s screen and held it protectively against her chest. 

“Hn,” Sasuke pulled his jacket on, and he repressed the urge to snatch the phone out of her hand and throw it out of the window, “It’s fine. Rest,”

The raven haired man turned and began to walk out of the door before the pink haired woman called out to his retreating back, “I love you!” 

A lie. 

The words sent a hefty spark of annoyance throughout his body. He glanced over his shoulder at the woman. The blanket, positioned awkwardly, did very little to shield her bare thighs. She smiled up at him-- a plastic, forced smile. Just another lie. 

It was moments like these when Sasuke wanted nothing more than to confront her. To tell her he knew exactly how she felt about him. To tell her that it was mutual. But he bit his tongue, and he repressed that urge as well. Because that was all Sasuke knew how to do, really. Repress. Suppress. Shove it all down and keep it moving, because nothing good ever came from allowing himself anything more than that. Besides, he needed Sakura. And she needed him. And that was what kept them together. It wasn’t love. It wasn’t even lust. Just a need on the lowest tier of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The same way one needed shelter, food, and water-- he needed Sakura, and she needed him. And so, they played their game of pretend. 

He shook his head as he murmured softly, “Daikirai” _[I hate you]_

“Sorry?” Sakura blinked, and she leaned forward, as if trying to hear him better. She understood Japanese, but his voice was too quiet for her to hear what he had said, “What was that, babe?”

Sasuke was already leaving though, calling over his shoulder while he moved to shut the door behind him, “I said, ‘I love you, too’,” 

He lied. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Which law states that the change in a stimulus that will just be noticeable is a constant ratio of the original stimulus?” 

The ball in Sasuke’s hand flew up into the air, “Weber’s Law,” 

The ball fell back into his palm, only to be thrown into the air again. He was laying down on his bed, and Itachi, his older brother, sat on the floor dressed in black scrubs and a white coat, holding flashcards in his hands. Itachi nodded and tucked the card behind the deck to ask the next question. 

“For a base 10 log scale, by what factor does each unit increment change?”

“An increase of 2 units on a log_10 scale, corresponds to a factor of 100 increase on a linear scale,” Sasuke murmured thoughtfully, and then his voice lifted as he addressed his brother, “Ten,” 

“Iine,” _[Good]_ Itachi shuffled the cards, “If the goal of the health communication is to have influence on individuals, families, neighborhoods, medical and social service organizations, and ultimately public health policy, they are adhering to…?”

“Ecological Theory,” Sasuke answered confidently.

“Wrong,” Itachi’s voice was disappointed. 

“Wrong?” Sasuke’s chest clenched and his eyebrows furrowed as he caught the ball and looked over at his brother. He hated disappointing Itachi. 

“I’m _kidding,”_ Itachi shook his head and chuckled softly as he watched Sasuke mildly panic, “You’re going to do _fine,_ Sasuke. You could take the MCAT _now_ if you wanted to. I think you’re more than ready,” 

“Jerk,” Sasuke shook his head, sat up and threw the ball at his brother’s head, “I’m not taking it until I can land in the 100th percentile,” 

“You don’t need to aim that high in order to get into Stanford,” Itachi looked away, a small smile came to his lips. 

“Yeah but _you_ were in the 99th percentile,” Sasuke chuckled softly, “And now, because of you, father expects nothing lower than the 100th,” 

Itachi shook his head again, “Who cares what that wretched man expects?” 

“Me,” Sasuke replied softly as he looked away and laid back in his bed again, “I care,” 

Itachi’s smile disappeared at the shift in his younger brother’s tone. He looked back down at the flashcards in his hands. They were both quiet for a moment, and then Itachi cleared his throat. 

“Let’s take a break, Sasuke,” Itachi looked down at the watch on his wrist, “You’ve been studying for two hours, and I have an hour before I head back to the hospital,” 

“Oi,” Sasuke looked over at his brother and smirked, “himatsubushi ni gemu shiyouyo,” _[let’s play games to kill time]_

“Okkee,” Itachi grinned, “Zombies?” 

“Hai!” Sasuke nodded, his spirits lifted again. It was his favorite despite the fact that Call of Duty: Black Ops was an old game. He still liked teaming up with his brother to fight off hordes of monsters determined to eat their brains. Oddly, the violence, blood and gunshots comforted him. 

They both got to their feet. Sasuke shot his brother a look of mischief before he shoved him aside and bolted out of the room. Itachi laughed and ran down the hallway after him, his white coat flapping after him. They were racing to grab the purple XBOX controller, their most prized possession. They often fought over it when they were younger, and it was still something they both fought for now whenever Itachi came over (rarely) and played with him. Sasuke was 22 years old, but around Itachi, he was just a kid who wanted to hang out with his older, cooler brother. 

Sasuke snatched it up quickly just as Itachi tackled him onto the sofa of the living room. They wrestled for it, both men laughing and throwing harmless punches. Itachi shoved his brother’s face into the throw pillows and pried the remote of his hand. Sasuke shouted, muffled against the cushion, and when Itachi pulled off, the younger brother turned right back around and lunged for the remote. They fell back into a tangled mess of limbs and "Oi! Don't touch my hair!" and "Sorry, Sas--but MOVE!" This struggle went on for a while until Sasuke finally snatched the controller out of his brother’s hand triumphantly. 

“HA!” Sasuke shot to his feet, laughing wickedly as he glanced down at Itachi, who lay on the couch, defeated, “You’re _weak,_ onii-san!” 

Itachi laughed and shook his head. And then his pager went off, and the urgent beeping sound that often tore Itachi away from his family immediately induced a feeling of disappointment in Sasuke. Itachi looked up to see his brother’s smile quickly disappear. The older brother climbed off the couch and straightened himself out. He looked over at Sasuke who was now putting the remote down on the coffee table. Sasuke looked up and gave him a small, sad smile. 

“Next time,” Itachi smiled back and reached up to poke Sasuke’s forehead with two fingers before he turned around and left the house. 

Sasuke plopped back down on the couch and sighed softly. He watched Netflix for a while before he grew bored and started to drift off. When his phone rang, he was surprised to see it was his martial arts instructor. 

“Konnichiwa, Kakashi-sensei,” a pause, and then, “What kind of job?”


	3. No, Thank You!

Naruto walked up the stairs of the University’s library. Kiba trailed after him, holding Naruto’s textbooks and backpack. Naruto couldn’t be trusted to hold things when he climbed up stairs, and they had learned that the hard way when Naruto once stumbled, dropped his books, and then fell down two flights of stairs, knocking Kiba, Shikamaru, and Neji down with him along the way. Naruto was swift, agile, and quick on his toes when it came to the football field, but outside of it, the blonde was a clumsy, bumbling mess. It was from that moment on that none of his friends allowed him to carry his own stuff near a staircase. Kiba firmly believed he almost died that night, and has since been scarred. 

“I’m just saying that if she wanted me to keep in touch, she should have at least told me her name,” Kiba was grumbling. 

“Bro,” Naruto rolled his eyes as he tried to keep his laughter silent, “She did tell you her name,” 

“Nah bruh, she told me her _major!_ ” Kiba scowled, “I remember she told me _that!”_

“Okay then,” Naruto glanced over his shoulder with a smirk, “What’s her major?” 

“I said I remember she told me, I didn’t say I remember what the fuck it was!” 

Naruto threw his head back in laughter, “You’re disrespectful,” 

“How am I supposed to remember that when she had her hands on my dick?” Kiba shook his head, “Why do they tell us shit in bed and then expect us to remember it after?! It’s like they fuck withchu on purpose!” 

Naruto shook his head, “She definitely told you her name before she touched your dick, man,”

“How do you know that?” 

“Because I was there when she said it!” 

“What’s her name then?!” Kiba was frustrated now. 

“Hinata, you idiot!” Naruto laughed when he glanced over his shoulder again to see Kiba’s look of bewilderment. 

“How do you know that? She didn’t even sleep with _you!”_

“But I was there when she introduced herself,” he shrugged nonchalantly, “If a woman is going to be generous enough to sleep with your dog ass, at least remember her name or major,” 

“It’s ‘smash and dash,’ Alpha, not ‘take it slow and see how it go,’” Kiba shook his head, “You’re too sweet to these people,” 

“Whatever,” Naruto looked down at his phone in his hand and mumbled as he scanned the third floor of the library, “Okay, we’re looking for table seven...” 

“It’s further in, towards the back,” Kiba gestured to the blonde to follow him, and Naruto fell into step behind him. 

Kakashi had given Naruto the number of the guy that was supposed to tutor him. He texted that number and exchanged a few messages. They decided to meet at the library, and Naruto requested they just find each other at table seven (because Kiba told Naruto table seven would be near the vending machines, and Naruto loved snacking while studying). 

Kiba and Naruto rounded the corner, and Kiba pointed to the sign that hung from the ceiling labeled with a big number seven. Naruto’s eyes looked from the sign down to the table and its single occupant. The blonde’s eyes widened, and his heart leapt into his throat. 

“Oh-- shit! Oh, shit!” Naruto ducked behind a nearby bookshelf, and Kiba’s eyebrows rose in alarm. 

Kiba ducked behind the bookshelf as well before he even asked why they were hiding, “What happened? What’s the problem?” 

“It’s Grouchy Hottie!” Naruto whispered frantically, “He’s at the table!” 

“Grouchy Hottie?” 

“The guy I told you about,” Naruto glared at his friend, “From the party! Seriously, do you have ears?! What happens when people talk to you? Do you forget how to listen?” 

Kiba laughed softly, “Okay, chill. Of course I remember! Why are we hiding from him, though?” 

“Because he hates me,” Naruto mumbled as he peered around the bookshelf, “And he’s so gorgeous, it’s kind of fucking scary,” 

“C’mon, man,” Kiba rolled his eyes, “There’s no way someone can be that attract-” 

Kiba peered around the bookshelf and his words died on his tongue. He took in the sight of the leather jacket, the blue flannel underneath, the white tank top underneath _that_ , and then the ripped skinny jeans paired with combat boots. On the man’s head was a navy blue beanie that matched the flannel shirt underneath the jacket. Long, thick lashes, and perfect red lips. Sharp cheekbones-- oh _man!_ Cheekbones to the high heavens! Kiba’s eyebrows rose slightly, and he silently nodded his approval. He turned back around to look at Naruto.

“Okay, I see,” Kiba grinned, “I’m straight, and even _I_ would let Grouchy Hottie tap me. Why's he so fucking pretty?! Shit should be illegal,” 

Naruto buried his face into his hands, “Ugh, I fucking _knowwww!”_

The men waited. They both sank to the floor, sitting and peering over their shoulders every so often to check if the raven was still there. Naruto looked down at his phone screen again. It was now 2:15, which was 15 minutes past the arranged time of the tutoring session, and the raven still hadn’t left. The blonde bit his lip. 

“Yo, Alpha...” Kiba inspected a book he had pulled off the shelf, his voice was slow and indifferent when he spoke, “You think maybe Grouchy Hottie is your tutor?” 

Naruto’s face lost its color, and he blinked slowly. He had been expecting to see a scrawny nerd with glasses and suspenders, not some fucking _god_ wearing leather and flannel, looking like a fucking _sin._ The blonde looked over at Kiba, who was now smirking. Naruto shook his head. 

“Text him,” Kiba’s grin was devious, and his voice was a dare, “Text him and see if that guy checks his phone,” 

“Fuck,” Naruto shook his head again, but he unlocked his phone and shot a text to the number Kakashi gave him. 

_running late_

_sorry!_

The blonde hit send, and then both men turned to look at Grouchy Hottie, who was now leaning back in his chair, tapping a pencil against the wooden table. His expression was bored. They watched as the raven paused his tapping, reached into his back pocket, and pulled out his phone. Kiba began to laugh cruelly as the man quickly tapped on his screen. Naruto’s breath caught in his throat, and when Grouchy Hottie put his phone away, and the cellphone in Naruto’s hand chimed, the blonde groaned. 

“For fuck’s sake!” Naruto’s face fell, and Kiba ducked his head as he laughed harder, trying to stifle his laughter against the palm of his hand. 

“Sucks to suck!” Kiba breathed out, shaking his head. 

“Shut up!” Naruto punched his friend’s shoulder. He looked down at his phone screen at the raven’s text message. 

_No problem. Take your time._

Fucking auto capitalization. Complete sentences. The complete spelling of ‘your.’ Grouchy Hottie really was straight. Naruto rolled his eyes. 

“Go meet him,” Kiba got to his feet and held his hand out to Naruto. The blonde frowned, but he took Kiba’s hand and stood up as well. 

“Are you coming with me?” Naruto turned to his best friend with hopeful eyes, and Kiba shot him a wicked grin. 

“Fuck, no,” he laughed, “I’m gonna stand here and watch you embarrass yourself because that’s funnier,” 

Naruto punched him again. Harder this time, “I hate you,” 

“Go!” Kiba pushed Naruto from around the bookshelf and into the open. He reached out and shoved the blonde’s textbooks and backpack into his arms as well, and gave him yet another push towards table seven and Grouchy Hottie. Naruto sighed heavily and began to walk towards the table. _Might as well get it over with._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sasuke was bent over in his chair, tying the shoelaces of his boots, when he saw a pair of orange, high top Converse sneakers paired with cuffed, light blue jeans walk up to him. 

“Hey!” a sort of husky, rough voice greeted him, “You’re the calculus tutor, right?” 

Sasuke paused. He kind of liked the sound of this voice. He’d never heard one like it before. He finished tying his knot and looked up with a polite smile. His dark eyes wandered up the man’s body, taking in the sight of a letterman jacket with their university’s logo on it, the white t-shirt underneath, an azure crystal necklace hanging around a tan neck, and then landing on the man’s face. Intense, cerulean blue eyes pierced into him, and Sasuke’s exhale tumbled out of his mouth and left him feeling slightly winded. The blonde’s face was boyish with a slightly upturned nose and pink tinged cheeks. He had a gentle smile on his face, and Sasuke couldn’t help but stare at the man’s pretty, pink lips for a moment longer than socially acceptable. 

Sasuke blinked, and then his eyes narrowed at the man. Sasuke knew that face… but where had he seen it? He thought for a moment as the blonde stared at him curiously. And then he remembered Neji’s apartment, and the party, and that same man groping Sakura. Sasuke’s smile faltered and disappeared completely. 

“No,” the raven stated flatly, “I’m not doing this,” 

Sasuke got to his feet and picked up his bag, tossing it over his shoulder. The blonde blinked, and then his eyes widened as Sasuke began to walk away. 

“Hey-- whoa, wait!” 

“Fuck off,” Sasuke muttered. 

“Wait, please!” The blonde jogged up from behind him and fell into step with the raven. When he saw that Sasuke wasn’t even slowing down, he stepped in front of him, “I know we got off on the wrong foot, and I wanted to apolo-” 

“Move,” Sasuke’s voice was quiet but firm, and the blonde blinked again and tilted his head slightly, as if he was trying to assess whether there was a threat in the raven’s tone. He spoke again after a short pause. 

“Um, listen, can I just tell you that I’m so-” 

“No,” Sasuke glared at him now and he sidestepped out of the man’s path and began to walk briskly towards the stairs, “Get lost,” 

“Hey, just listen for a second!” Naruto jogged to keep up, “I didn’t know she was--” 

And then there was a small gasp from behind him, and then Sasuke felt the man crash into him from behind. Both men fell forward in a tangle of limbs, and Sasuke groaned in frustration and pain. He rolled over and tried to shove the blonde off of him. The man’s hands had fallen to Sasuke’s abdomen when the raven turned over, and as he tried to get up, Sasuke pushed him. Those tan, strong hands fell to the raven’s crotch. Sasuke’s cheeks flushed, and the blonde spluttered and yanked his hands away quickly. 

“Usuratonkachi!” Sasuke growled. The blonde’s cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red, and he quickly got to his feet. 

“Fuck! Sorry-- I tripped!” He cried out, and then he reached out to help Sasuke up. The raven swatted his hand away and got up on his own. 

“Get away from me!” Sasuke huffed. He readjusted his bag on his shoulder and stormed off down the stairs quickly.

He glanced over his shoulder, relieved the man had stopped following him and now stood with a hand covering his face near the top of the stairs. Sasuke reached into his pocket and texted Kakashi. 

_With all due respect: no, thank you!_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Naruto buried his head in his arms. Kiba, sitting across from him at table seven, was still laughing. Naruto groaned and shut his eyes. 

“I can’t believe you fucking _tackled_ him,” Kiba shook his head, his finger came up to wipe away a tear, “Oh my God, it was so _perfect!”_

“Kiba!” Naruto cried out helplessly, “I didn’t tackle him! _I tripped!_ I swear!” 

“And then you fucking _groped_ him! Oh my God, just pack your shit and leave the country!” Kiba laughed harder, and it made Naruto want to dig his own grave and bury himself. He was _mortified._

“I was just trying to apologize and he--” 

“Aw, man, Alpha!” Kiba shook his head again, “He was practically _running_ away from you! What did you do to that man?!” 

“Nothing!” the blonde cried out in despair, “It wasn’t my fault! I didn’t know she was his girlfriend! I swear!” 

Kiba paused, his face incredulous, and then he burst into laughter again “That’s _priceless!”_

“You’re not fucking helping!” 

“What do you want me to do?” Kiba grinned, “You want me to kick his ass and drag him back here for you, bro?” 

Naruto groaned and rubbed his face. He almost nodded, but thought better of it and shook his head instead. The blonde reached for his phone and shot his coach a text message. 

_didn’t work out. do you know any other tutors?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that night, Sasuke sat at his desk and tapped his pen against the blank, first page of the leather bound journal Kabuto had given him. He chewed his lower lip slowly. He was pretty sure it wasn’t supposed to be this fucking hard to write about emotions. He could do this. At least, he _should_ be able to do this. He sighed heavily, and his gaze wandered over to his window. He looked out into his backyard. _What’s on my mind?_

Blue eyes. Bright, intense cerulean eyes. Sasuke huffed. _That fucking idiot._ Sasuke reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a pack of crayons that he hadn’t used since his freshman year of high school. He pulled out a blue crayon and began to color the entire page in that color. _Blue eyes, blue eyes, blue eyes._ His thoughts became engulfed with the image of the blonde man's eyes. He was confused. Why was this the only thing he could think of to put in his journal? He had an eventful day. He went to his favorite coffee shop, went to Barnes and Noble to buy some new books, had dinner with his girlfriend, played some video games, studied for hours on end-- and yet none of that popped in his head as much as the man’s eyes. Those fucking _eyes._

Sasuke huffed and sat back, staring down at his blue scribbles. He frowned, and his eyebrows furrowed in frustration. _Okay...what else?_ He tried to think about the other parts of his day, but nothing else was important enough to draw out any deep emotions. _Did that idiot_ _draw out deep emotions?_ Sasuke blinked slowly. And then he pushed the thought away quickly. He picked up the journal and tossed it aside. _Fuck this. Kabuto is full of shit._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

“¡Mi alborotador!” _[My troublemaker]_

Iruka called out fondly as Naruto stepped through the door. The blonde looked up and smiled at his foster dad who wore an apron and carried a wooden spoon in his hand. Iruka’s tan, handsome face broke into a huge grin. He rarely saw Naruto these days, but when he did come around, Iruka's smile almost never faltered. 

“Hola, papá,” Naruto chuckled softly. His Spanish wasn’t all too great, but he understood it perfectly. Iruka often spoke his native language to Naruto as a child, and over the years, he picked up on it and even began to speak it back. It always pleased Iruka to hear Naruto speaking Spanish to him. 

Naruto inhaled the aroma of delicious food deeply as he made his way through the house into the open kitchen. He watched Iruka set a plate of tacos down on the counter. It was Taco Night, and Naruto always came home from the university dormitory in order to spend this particular night of the month with Iruka. 

“Give love, hijo. I’ve raised you better than this,” Iruka walked around the counter and Naruto grinned brighter as he was pulled into a hug. He turned his head and kissed the older man’s cheek lightly. Iruka firmly believed Naruto was never too old for hugs and affection, despite the fact that Naruto had grown up to be a lot taller than him and a lot bigger. He still treated the blonde like a kid. 

“How have you been?” Naruto asked as he settled down on the bar stool and reached for a taco. Iruka smacked his hand away, and gestured towards the sink. 

“Wash your hands, first!” Iruka shook his head as he watched the blonde groan with exasperation and get back to his feet to wash his hands, as if Iruka had asked him for a _kidney._ The older man couldn’t help but chuckle, “I’ve been fine, thank you. How are your studies coming along?” 

Naruto shrugged, and he avoided Iruka’s eyes, “Great,” He tried to keep his voice casual, but Iruka raised him, and so he knew exactly when Naruto was lying. 

“Oh yeah?” Iruka raised his eyebrows, smirking, “Debes ser Einstein, ¿eh?” _[You must be Einstein over there, huh?]_

Naruto’s cheeks flushed and he laughed as he sat back down and reached for a taco, “Something like that, yeah,” 

Iruka shook his head and took his apron off before he sat down beside Naruto and picked up a taco as well. They ate quietly for a moment before Naruto spoke again. 

“It’s hard, papá,” he muttered quietly, his usual cheerfulness wasn’t quite there anymore, and Iruka looked up at his kid with a soft smile, “Trying to get through college. It’s hard, and I don’t know what I’m doing half the time. I’m just barely hanging on,”

“Se que es difícil,” _[I know it’s hard]_ Iruka nodded, and Naruto looked up at him with his eyebrows lifted slightly, “Pero, I also know that you’re going to be just fine,” 

Naruto’s gaze fell away, and he stared down at his food. Iruka reached out and put his hand on Naruto’s head, burying his fingers in the messy, blonde locks. 

“You work hard, and you put your heart into whatever you do. You make mistakes, but that only makes you stronger and better. That’s what makes you so great, Naruto,” the blonde smiled again, and Iruka pulled the man’s head towards him to plant a kiss on Naruto’s forehead, “You’re going to be just fine, kid. Now eat your tacos,” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Naruto wandered into his childhood bedroom and smiled at the familiarity of it all. He liked his shared dorm room with Kiba, but nothing could ever really compare to the feeling of safety and comfort he got when he came home. He walked over to his desk and looked down at his various sketchbooks, colored pencils, paint tubes, and paint brushes. The supplies were sprawled out the same way he had left them a month ago when he visited. He sat down at his desk, his fingers itching to draw something. 

He grabbed a brand new sketchbook from his organizer, and flipped it open. The blank page, an endless canvas of opportunity, smiled up at Naruto, and he sighed with deep content. He had missed this. He reached for a pencil, and he quickly began to sketch out the first thing that came to his mind. 

The tip of his pencil fell to the page and developed a mind of its own. The strong, sharp curve of a jawline, first. And then a long, elegant neck. Broad shoulders, muscular arms, a toned torso, narrow hips, slender and perfect hands and fingers. Naruto’s hand came back up to the top and he quickly began to sketch out the wild, long hair, a beanie, and then elegant, thin eyebrows. The drawing slowly came together, and when he put his pencil down and studied it, he felt his cheeks flush. He smiled gently. The raven haired man smiled politely back up at him. 

“Bastard,” Naruto chuckled softly as he shook his head. 


	4. We All Have Our Reasons

Naruto stepped out of the elevator and onto the third floor of the science building. He looked down at Dr. Loren’s syllabus to check the room number that belonged to her office. And then he began to walk down the hallway, his eyes scanning the plaques outside of the doors. Room 3200 was the farthest in, at the end of the hallway. It was a distance away from the other rooms, separated by restrooms and a water fountain. The poster on the door of Dr. Loren’s office read, “Don’t trust atoms, they make everything up,” and it made Naruto smile. The blonde knocked on the black door decorated with purple butterfly stickers, and he waited. 

“Come in,” Her voice was muffled, but he heard it. 

“Hey, Doc,” Naruto grinned at the woman who sat behind her desk when he walked in. 

Her office smelled like cinnamon, and the lights were dim. His eyes wandered around the room, taking in the bookshelves and the pun-filled physics posters. Dr. Loren smiled at the sight of the man, and she gestured to the chair across from her desk. 

“Hello, Naruto!” Her voice was warm and welcoming, and she leaned forward in her chair when the blonde sat down. 

“How was your evening class?” Naruto leaned forward as well, sitting on the edge of the chair and folding his arms casually on his side of the desk. 

She shrugged, her smile growing quite coy now, “Class is class, Naruto. It was...the same as any another class,” 

“That sounds absolutely terrible,” Naruto shook his head with feigned sympathy, “You poor thing. You must be so tired of atoms and molecules and laws,” 

She chuckled softly and rolled her eyes upwards, “You have no idea,” She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper, “But I never grow tired of seeing my students,” 

“Really?” Naruto grinned and leaned further in as well, “I’d get so sick of seeing the same people every single day,” 

Dr. Loren laughed, “Okay, yeah, it does get a little boring from time to time. But…” She reached out and poked his cheek, her finger sinking into his dimple-- something she had always wanted to do, “Some students make it all worthwhile,” 

“Oh, yeah?” this time it was Naruto who whispered, “It’s the fucking nerds, huh? They do it for you?” 

This made her laugh again, a bit harder, and she shook her head quickly, “God, no. Absolutely not!” 

“No?” He laughed along now. 

“No, Naruto! They’re the absolute _worst!”_

Their laughter filled the small office and Naruto sat back in his chair. When their laughter died out naturally, Naruto reached for his backpack, “Okay, well, I don’t wanna overstay my welcome,” He pulled out his disappointing midterm exam and set it on the desk in front of them. Dr. Loren seemed to deflate a bit, but she kept a small smile on her face nonetheless, “So, I’ll just get to the point, Doc,” 

“Very well,” She reached out and looked at the exam again, her eyes scanning the problems he got wrong. There were a lot. She frowned, “Well...let’s see...” 

She set the paper down and turned to her computer. Naruto watched the woman click her mouse and type out a few things. He waited patiently as she hummed thoughtfully and her frown deepened. 

“Well, sweetie, it looks like you’ve really fallen behind here...” 

“What do you mean?”

“I mean I could help you try to understand these concepts but..” She shrugged sadly, “In order to pass the class, you'll need to earn nothing less than an A on every assignment and quiz moving forward...” 

Naruto’s small smile disappeared. His chest clenched. An A on _every_ assignment and quiz...in physics? He swallowed thickly, and his disappointment in himself seemed to settle into his stomach. He felt physically sick. How could he have done so badly? He always studied for these exams, and also stayed on track with assignments. And yet, it still wasn’t good enough. His head hung, and he sighed heavily. When he finally looked up, he noticed Dr. Loren’s eyes were wandering down his torso. He cleared his throat and her eyes snapped back up to meet his. 

“Is there anything else I can do, Dr. Loren?” His voice was quiet, and their gazes locked. 

“Besides studying hard and coming in for more help?” She smiled sadly, “I don’t think so,” 

Naruto’s eyes fell away again, and he looked down at the midterm exam in front of him. He could feel her gaze on him. He always did. He always knew when she was watching him, when she was paying a little more attention to him than any other student, when she was sweeping those dark eyes down his body, mentally undressing and touching him. His jaw clenched, and slowly, his eyes came back up to hers. 

The room was silent except for the ticking of the clock that told them it was nearing 9:00 pm. Naruto leaned forward in his chair again, and this time, it was the blonde’s eyes that wandered. He made sure to slow down when his gaze fell to her breast, and then roamed down her torso, stopping at her hips, just where the desk cut off his view. And then he tilted his head to the side, and he left his eyes meander back up her body to meet her gaze again. Her cheeks were flushed, and her lower lip was pulled in between her teeth. He held her gaze for a moment longer before he let a slow smile curl his lips. 

“There’s nothing I can do, professor?” his voice, lower and huskier, traveled the space between them and embraced the woman’s ears. Her body reacted pleasantly to the sound, and she felt a small jolt of arousal run through her pelvis. 

She shook her head. Naruto got to his feet slowly, and he slipped his hands into his pockets. Her head tilted back as she looked up at the man towering over her. His pupils were wider now, and his gaze became darkened as his eyes once again followed the shape of her curves. Her body grew warm under the man’s intense gaze, and she felt a pull in her stomach. She exhaled sharply, her eyebrows furrowing as her body reacted with a growing heat between her legs.

Naruto began to walk backwards slowly towards the door. When he was near it, he reached out and shut the door completely, and then he looked down at the doorknob, and his slender fingers twisted the lock. Her arousal flared when he looked back up at her with a small smirk on his face. His own cheeks flushed a soft, warm pink. And then he began to walk towards her again, and she felt her heartbeat quicken. 

“Naruto,” she breathed out softly when the man walked around the desk, “What are you…?”

But she knew all too well what his intentions were. And she knew all too well that if he acted on them, she wouldn’t be able to resist. Her young, beautiful face flushed a deeper red. And then Naruto slid his jacket off and let it fall to the floor before he moved closer. His eyes were on her legs now, moving up her bare skin and to the hem of her skirt. She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. Her breath came heavier when the man knelt in front of her, and when he leaned down to brush his soft, pink lips against the skin of her leg, her breath hitched in her throat. 

“Naruto…” her voice was soft and full of a mixture of arousal and desperation. She shouldn’t do this. They shouldn’t do this. Her career was on the line. But when the blonde looked up, and his eyes pierced into hers as his hands slowly pulled her skirt up, she felt her resistance fade. His lips trailed soft, fluttering kisses up her thigh as his hand wrapped around her thigh and spread her legs further apart gently. 

Naruto watched the woman’s face, watched her reactions. His movements were unhurried and gentle, deliberate and slow. He didn’t want to overwhelm her too quickly, didn’t want her to feel pressured. And so, when his hands traveled up her inner thighs, radiating with heat and arousal and already quivering slightly, he paused a moment before he let his thumb brush against her soaking panties. She breathed in through her teeth, her hips rising involuntarily to meet his touch and press into it more. He let his tongue trail up her smooth thigh, and his hot breath and mouth drew out a soft sigh from her lips. 

Dr. Loren looked down at her student, and she tried to recompose herself. Tried to pull herself together long enough to stop what was happening, but when Naruto’s mouth fell to her inner thigh, so fucking close to where she really needed his mouth to be, and when he began to suck and swirl his tongue, she moaned softly. At the sound, the blonde looked up at her again, and he turned his head slightly. His lips pressed against her panties, and he kissed her there softly before he parted his lips and let his tongue run up the wet fabric. She moaned at the feeling and bit her lip.

“Naruto..” She whimpered softly as he pressed his mouth against her again and began to press and swirl his tongue over her, still teasing her through the thin fabric of her underwear. She let out a shaky breath, and her hips moved. She pressed herself against his mouth desperately, and he hummed softly, “Oh...Naruto...” 

He pulled his mouth away slightly, a smirk playing on his lips now, “Yes, professor?” 

At the sound of his dark, seductive tone uttering those words so quietly, she whimpered again. _Shit._ His fingers hooked through the waistband of her panties, and he dragged the fabric down slightly. Naruto dipped his tongue underneath the panties teasingly, never taking his eyes off of hers. Her own eyes were following the movements of his tongue, and her resolve faded completely when he dragged the panties down and dipped his head to let his tongue slowly sweep up between her folds and circle her clit. 

She threw her head back against the headrest of the chair and she moaned loudly. Her hand came up, and her fingers tangled in his messy, blonde hair. He placed a soft kiss on her clit. 

“Naruto, fuck!” She bit her lip again and her hips rose again to greedily rub against his lips. 

“Yes, Professor Loren?” he murmured against her, lifting his eyebrows slightly. He flattened his tongue and buried it in her folds to run it up against her once more before he placed an open mouthed kiss on her clit again, sucking lightly. Her rationality was replaced with lust and desire, and all of her thoughts of resisting disappeared. She moaned loudly and gripped his hair, pulling his head down. 

“Earn it,” She breathed out. 

And he did. Six times in a row. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sakura’s lips trailed down Sasuke’s neck in light, small kisses. Her hands moved down his bare torso, fingers following the lines of his abs carefully. Sasuke’s eyes were closed, and his breathing was soft and even. She lifted her head and kissed his lips gently, and he opened his eyes to look up at her. She smiled down at him from where she sat straddling his hips. He could feel his own come dripping from her entrance and onto his pelvis. The first time she had ever told him to come inside her, he had been so startled he nearly fell off the bed. She laughed at him then, reassuring him she was on the pill. Now, whenever they fucked, it was her favorite thing to beg him for. She loved it for some reason he would never understand. 

She kissed him again before she murmured against his lips, “Kirei desu ne,”

Sasuke’s eyes fell shut again and he sighed softly. Sakura’s lips once again began to trail down his jaw, his neck, his throat, his collarbone. 

“I want you again,” She whispered into his skin, and he shuddered lightly beneath her at the feeling of her warm breath dancing across his flesh. 

His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he felt her tongue circle around his nipple teasingly. He wondered if she did, genuinely, want him or if she did this because she thought this was what he expected of her. Was she simply playing the role of girlfriend that was so heavily pushed onto her, or did she really enjoy this? 

Sasuke reached up and cupped her chin, tilting her head up so their eyes met. He searched her eyes, looking for the deception he so often found in those darkened emeralds. Her lips curled into a forced smile, and his suspicions were confirmed. He didn’t bother smiling back. 

“Don’t,” he murmured softly, “It’s okay,” 

She blinked and her smile slowly faded away. He reached up and stroked her cheek. 

“What’s wrong?” She asked, because she had to. Because he had gone off script. Because if she didn’t ask, she would seem too eager to stop what they were doing, and that’s not what a good, loving girlfriend would do. 

“I’m tired,” he lied, and he watched the relief flicker in her eyes.

“That’s okay, babe,” She smiled again, a genuine one, and she climbed off of him. 

How much longer could they pretend to be happy? How much longer would he continue to sleep with a woman he didn’t desire? How much longer would she pretend that when she closed her eyes, that when she touched him, that when they fucked, she didn’t envision someone else? Someone more loving, someone more gentle, someone more yielding against her body? He wondered how much longer they could play this game. He wondered how far it would go. 

Sakura got to her feet, and she pulled her long, pink hair into a messy bun before she walked towards the connecting bathroom.

“Ino is having a small thing tomorrow night to celebrate her parents getting divorced. Can you come with me, Sasu?” She called out. He heard the shower turn on. 

Sasuke reached for the towel on the bedside table, and he cleaned himself with it. He would shower at home. It was already late, and he didn’t want to deal with his father’s temper.

“Sure,” Sasuke winced at his own reply, “I’ll pick you up, and we can drive over there together,” 

“Sounds great, babe,” She lied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Naruto took a really long, hot shower, and he scrubbed his body extra hard. It was almost as if the blonde was trying to wash away his memory of the night prior. He didn’t regret it-- he did what he had to do. But he couldn’t help but feel ashamed at how he handled the situation. He knew Dr. Loren enjoyed it, but he also knew it was risky to do such things. He wondered what Iruka would say if he ever found out, and then he quickly pushed that thought away. The feeling of anxiety that came with it was not worth his peace of mind at the moment. He was going to pass his physics course, and that was all he allowed himself to think about. 

“Yo Alpha! Where were you last night?” Kiba poked his head into the bathroom to interrogate the blonde man who had gotten dressed and now had a toothbrush in his mouth, “You’ve officially ruined my life,” 

Naruto spit the toothpaste out of his mouth and into the sink, “What? How?” 

“I met this girl last night, right? Huge tits, great ass. She mentioned she wanted a threesome, and I said ‘I gotchu,’ you know, because I knew you’d totally be down for it,” Kiba gave him a pointed look and Naruto nodded and laughed. He _would_ have been down for it, “and we got here, and you weren’t here, and she fucking bailed!” 

“Damn, that’s rough,”

“Yeah,” Kiba shook his head in disappointment, “She said she wanted to try double penetration,” 

Naruto’s eyebrows shot up, and he groaned in frustration at the lost opportunity, “Oh, she was _nasty_ , too? Fuck my luck!”

Kiba nodded, frowning at Naruto, “Right. And you blew it for us. Where were you?” 

Naruto sighed and ran his towel through his still wet hair. He grumbled quietly, “I was eating my professor out for a better grade in physics,” 

Kiba blinked, startled. He leaned forward slightly, “Sorry, whatchu say?” his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “Cuz I thought I heard you say you ate pussy for a higher grade,” 

Naruto shook his head and he turned to leave the bathroom, “That’s exactly what I said,” 

Kiba trailed after the blonde, “What the fuck?! That’s so... _wrong,”_ and then his hand came up to his mouth, and his eyes widened in realization, “So wrong, but so fucking _hot_ ,” 

The brown haired man threw his head back in laughter, and Naruto quietly laughed along as he reached into the fridge and pulled out a carton of milk. He began to pour himself a bowl of cereal. 

“You...” Kiba’s face was incredulous, “You took a bite of the forbidden fruit!” 

“Well, it’s more like I licked and sucked on it...and then drank the juices. But yeah, I guess,” Naruto shook his head. 

“And...” Kiba scratched his stubble as he watched the blonde man sit down on the sofa and begin to eat his cereal, “Was it awkward? You know, like, after?” 

“Nah, not really. I gave her underwear back, she changed my grade. I put my jacket on and left,” Naruto shrugged one shoulder, “That was it, really,” 

Kiba smirked now, “So what’s your grade in the class, now?” 

Naruto grinned back, “A minus,” 

“Minus?” 

“Yeah. Couldn’t help myself. I bit her thigh. She didn’t like that. Knocked some points off,” 

Kiba laughed loudly, his head falling back, “Oh my God! You’re a legend-- but _oh,_ such a _horrible_ person!” he paused, and then he grinned at Naruto, “You know this means you’re a whore, right? Like you’re officially a fucking whore, now. You know that?” 

Naruto smirked and he nodded, “I know. I feel so _dirty,”_

“Dirty whore,” Kiba nodded, satisfied that Naruto knew his place, and he turned to leave, but then he paused, “Oh! Ino’s hosting a small get-together at her place. Her friends are volleyball players and cheerleaders. You’re coming with me. I need a wingman,” 

“Mmm, kay,” Naruto didn’t like Ino, but he _did_ like volleyball players and cheerleaders. 

“Kay, I’m out. I’ll see you later,” Kiba turned and walked towards the door, “Love you,” 

“Love you, too,” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What can I get for you, sugar?” 

Itachi’s eyes searched the menu one last time before he looked back down at the woman behind the counter, “Just a small, vanilla cone for me, miss,” 

The woman nodded, wrote it down, and then turned to Sasuke with a questioning look. 

Sasuke smirked at his brother before he turned to the woman, speaking quickly, “Can I have an extra large chocolate-vanilla swirl on a waffle cone until it hits the brim, have it start in on strawberry and finish off with a chocolate top, and then dipped in butterscotch on one side, and chocolate on the other, and then could you please also dunk it in the sprinkles and put a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry on top?”

The woman blinked, “Could you say that again for me real slow?” 

Sasuke grinned, Itachi shook his head at his younger brother, but the raven was already speaking again, “Extra large chocolate-vanilla swirl on a waffle cone until you get to the brim, then start in on strawberry ice cream and finish it with chocolate again. Dip it into butterscotch on one side, chocolate on the other side. Dunk it in the sprinkles, finish it off with a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry top,” 

The woman was trying to write it all down on her notepad but by the time she got the strawberry ice cream part, she was already lost and looking up at Sasuke with an alarmed, confused expression. 

“One more time? Okay!” Sasuke stepped forward, drew in a breath, and then began again, “Can I have an extra large chocolate-vanilla swirl--” 

Itachi shoved his brother out of the way, “He’ll have a chocolate cone dipped in butterscotch. Thank you,” 

Sasuke laughed softly and shook his head with fake outrage, “But that’s not what I wanted, onii-san!” 

“Leave that poor woman alone, Sasuke,” Itachi shook his head as he laughed and dragged his brother back over to their table, where their father was sitting. 

When they got to their seats, the brothers stopped smiling and sat down. Once a month, when Itachi had a day off and their father could spare a moment from his busy schedule, the Uchihas would gather at a small, local ice cream shop to “catch up.” Though these gatherings almost always ended with Fugaku and Itachi getting into an argument, and Sasuke being left in the middle, silently avoiding both of their gazes and eating his ice cream. 

When the boys settled into their seats, Fugaku was still talking on the phone. Sasuke and Itachi remained silent because no one was allowed to speak when Fugaku was speaking, even if he wasn’t addressing them. Fugaku ended the conversation and hung up. 

“My apologies. That was your aunt Uruchi. She says her son has just welcomed a child into the world,” Fugaku smiled lightly, and then he raised an eyebrow at his two sons. There was a hint of disappointment in his tone now, “When are you two idiots going to give _me_ grandchildren?” 

“When he can find a woman that doesn’t mind putting up with his dull personality, Itachi will give you a grandchild, oto-san,” Sasuke smirked at his older brother. 

“Sasuke has a woman, surprisingly. Maybe he’ll give you a grandchild before I can find a lady who isn’t threatened by my success,” 

“That’s not why she left you, Itachi,” His father deadpanned, and Sasuke ducked his head in silent laughter while Itachi shook his head, “And you, Sasuke?” Fugaku leveled his gaze on his younger son. He thought for a moment, and then he tilted his head to the side, “How is Sakura?” 

At the mention of his girlfriend, Sasuke’s chest clenched. Sakura was the only woman that Fugaku approved of for his son. This was because Sakura was also Japanese, also upper class, and her father worked with Fugaku in competing law firms. Sasuke’s relationship with Sakura started out as a way for Fugaku to build a bridge between the families and the law firms-- an extension of an olive branch. And it was nice at first, Sakura fell for the mysterious raven haired boy that was the son of her father’s enemy. And it was fine, until the teenagers grew more mature and realized the bond wasn’t love. It was an obligation. A duty for Sasuke, in a way, because ever since the two began to date, the size of Fugaku’s wallet expanded. The Haruno law firm started passing off their unwanted, challenging clients to Fugaku, and the Uchiha snatched up every opportunity because he was a shark in the courtroom. Thus, despite the fact that it was never spoken out loud, Sasuke and Sakura’s relationship became a given-- something that everyone assumed would end in marriage and children, and a happy family. Because otherwise...

“Sakura is doing well,” Sasuke smiled at his father.

“She doesn’t come by anymore,” Fugaku regarded his son with suspicion, “Did you make a mistake, Sasuke?” 

“Not at all, Oto-san,” Sasuke felt his stomach fill with dread at his father’s question, “She’s often busy studying and working. She’s doing research for the university now. I’ll be seeing her tonight, though, for a gathering hosted by a mutual friend,” 

Sasuke forced reassurance into his smile, and Fugaku nodded thoughtfully, seemingly satisfied with his son’s answer. He turned his head to Itachi, who was taking the ice cream cones from the woman who stood behind the counter just moments ago. The two older Uchihas chatted idly about the work Itachi was doing at the hospital. Sasuke sat quietly and listened while he ate his ice cream. The grown ups were talking, and that was Sasuke’s cue to shut up. 

Beside their table, two men settled into a booth across from each other. Fugaku spared a glance at the newcomers before he continued his line of questioning. Sasuke watched the two men for a moment. They talked animatedly, and seemed happy in each other’s company. One of the men reached out and took the other’s hand. Sasuke smiled softly at them from behind his ice cream cone. And then the other one leaned in and the two men kissed. Sasuke’s gaze quickly fell away. Fugaku, who saw it happen from his peripheral vision, sneered in disgust when he looked at them. Itachi glanced over as well before turning his gaze away, too. 

“Iyana hito,” _[Disgusting people]_ Fugaku’s face twisted into a scowl, and he glared at the men. Itachi and Sasuke shared a look of discomfort because they knew what was coming. Fugaku turned his torso to the men who were no longer kissing, “Could you do that elsewhere?” 

Sasuke’s cheeks flushed pink, and Itachi’s jaw clenched in anger. The gay men turned to Fugaku with alarmed expressions. 

“Excuse me?!” one of them asked, outraged. 

“Ali, let’s just move to a different table,” the other one, clearly the pacifist of the two, reached out and took the hand of the outraged man. The first man, Ali, looked from Fugaku to his lover, and then huffed. They both stood up and left. 

Fugaku turned back to Itachi, as if that hadn’t just happened. Itachi's jaw was still clenched with anger, and now his fist was balled around a napkin especially tight. When the older brother opened his mouth, undoubtedly to lash out at Fugaku, Sasuke kicked Itachi under the table. Their eyes met, and the look Sasuke gave his brother was enough for Itachi to bite his tongue. Sasuke was in no mood for another argument today. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Ino’s speakers weren’t working. Her guests were growing bored. The crowd was thinning out quickly. Kiba was laying on the loveseat sofa, sipping from a beer bottle when Naruto walked over and plopped down on his legs. They watched Ino, a tall, gorgeous blonde with a short skirt and even shorter crop top, bend over and attempt to untangle the speaker’s wires. Kiba and Naruto exchanged a look of approval when her skirt rode up to reveal something black and lined with white lace underneath. Shikamaru walked over as well, shot a glance at Ino, before he squeezed into the sofa as well. 

“What a fucking drag,” Shikamaru muttered around the joint that hung from his lips. 

Ino heard it, and she turned to face him with a look of anger, “I’m doing my best, idiot! Make yourself useful and help me out!” 

Shikamaru rolled his eyes upward and leaned back against the couch, “That would be too troublesome,” 

“They’re broken, Ino, just forget it,” Kiba shook his head. 

Neji and Tenten walked into the living room as well, and upon surveying the seating situation, Tenten sank into an armchair and Neji walked over to sit on Naruto’s lap. The blonde and the brunette exchanged a look, but neither of the men spoke. This was nothing new for them. 

“What are we going to do now?” Tenten asked 

Ino looked up to see more of her guests leaving, and she huffed in annoyance. Pretty soon there would be no one left! She ran her fingers through her long, blonde hair thoughtfully. Sai, a black haired, pale man walked into the room in that moment and he took a look around before he sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. 

“Hello, friends,” he smiled politely. 

“Sai,” Ino pouted at the man and batted her lashes, “You’re a tech nerd. Can you take a look at these speakers?” 

He nodded at her and crawled forward to pull the speakers into his lap. There was another, small noise and Hinata, the girl Kiba hooked up with, wandered into the living room as well. Tenten looked up at her and smiled, gesturing for her to join her in the armchair. Hinata walked over, hesitated for a moment until Tenten nodded enthusiastically, and then sat down on her friend’s lap. 

“What’s going on?” Hinata asked in a soft, sweet voice that made the men in the room turn their heads in her direction, which in turn caused her to blush. 

“We’re waiting for Ino to get her shit together,” Naruto grinned, and Ino looked like she was seconds away from murder. 

“Ino,” Sai spoke up, his voice a soothing and calm sound, “These speakers are a lost cause. I’m sorry,” 

Ino groaned in frustration and walked over to the coffee table to pick up a bottle of wine, “For God’s sake!” 

“Forget this,” Kiba set his beer down and made a move to leave, “I’ve got better shit to do on a Friday night,” 

“Don’t you fucking dare move!” Ino screamed and pointed at him. Kiba sank back down immediately, “We can do something else!” 

There were some shouted goodbyes as more guests left the house, waving at Ino before they made their exit. Ino glared at them angrily, and then her eyes swept over the people in the living room. 

A man with bushy brows and a green coat walked into the living room with a cheerful smile on his face, “Hello Ino! Congratulations on the divorce of your parents!” 

The others in the room turned to look at him, and in response he made a thumbs up gesture. Ino buried her face into her hands, “Thanks, Lee,” 

He grinned brighter and turned to leave as well. She made no move to stop _him_. 

“We could always play a game!” Tenten spoke up with a note of hope in her voice. 

“Yes! Let’s play a game!” Naruto nodded, relieved to have something to do. 

“Which game?” Ino asked, her curiosity piqued. 

“What’s your favorite party game?” Tenten shrugged, leaving the choice in Ino’s hands. 

“Hmm,” Ino’s eyes wandered around the room at its occupants, and then her face morphed into a devious smirk, “Spin the bottle!” 

It was at that moment that Sasuke and Sakura entered the living room as well, and at the name of the game, Sasuke immediately made a move to turn around and leave. 

“Hey!” Ino screamed, pointing her finger at Sasuke, “Get your ass back in here, Uchiha!” 

Naruto looked up at the unfamiliar last name, and when he saw the raven haired man, his stomach dropped. The man was holding the hand of the pink haired woman from that disastrous night, and upon seeing her there as well, the blonde groaned inwardly. Naruto buried his face into Neji’s shoulder, and the brunette looked back at him with concern. 

“Come on, Sasu,” Sakura pulled the raven back into the living room, “This could be fun!” 

“Sakura--” Sasuke looked up to see a familiar head of blonde hair hidden behind Neji, and he frowned, “Let’s just leave,” 

“You are _not_ fucking allowed to leave!” Ino cried out. 

“If we have to stay and suffer, so do you!” Tenten called out. 

“Suffer?!” Ino turned her glare onto the brown haired woman, and Tenten smiled apologetically. 

“Okay!” Kiba clapped his hands together, “Spin the bottle, then? Cool. Let’s get this show on the road,"

Naruto laughed softly and he looked up to see Kiba chugging the last of his beer and then placing the bottle on the ground in a horizontal position. 

“Okay! Gather around, everyone,” Ino seemed to cheer up a bit. 

There were some groans from the room’s occupants, but with a fierce glare from Ino, even the more hesitant ones were pulled in. The nine guests and the host sat on the floor in a circle. 

Naruto avoided the fierce gaze of the raven haired man, who sat glaring at him from across the circle. The blonde scooted closer to Kiba, whose eyes flickered from Naruto to Sasuke with amusement. 

“Alright!” Ino crossed her legs and brushed her golden mane behind her shoulder, “We’ll start with Kiba, and then move clockwise. Everyone has to spin, and everyone has to kiss. No exceptions. If it lands on someone who is the same sex as you-- too bad. You're still kissing them. People in a relationship--” She looked up at Sasuke and Sakura, who sat side by side, “Get the fuck over it. It’s happening,” 

Sakura laughed and Sasuke’s eyes narrowed at the blonde woman. Ino only smirked at him, and then she continued, “You’ll spin the bottle, kiss the person the head of the bottle points to, and then-- to make it interesting-- you’ll spin again and if the bottle lands on the same person, you have to walk your ass over to that closet, and spend ten minutes in heaven with your new lover. Got it, bitches?” 

There were a few laughs and giggles from the guests. Shikamaru shook his head, “I’m gonna need another joint,” 

“This is so fucking stupid,” Sasuke turned to Sakura, “Do you want to leave? We can just leave,” 

“Sasuke, relax,” Sakura chuckled and shook her head, “It’s fine! We’re all friends here, and we’re just having fun,” 

Sasuke’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t speak again. 

“Go on, Kiba,” Tenten smiled encouragingly at the man. 

Kiba reached down and spun the bottle… and so the game began.


	5. Three Strikes- You're Out.

The sound of the glass bottle spinning against the hardwood floor of Ino’s living room was the only sound in the room. It seemed like everyone in the circle was holding their breath. The bottle slowed, and then gradually came to a stop. The head of the bottle pointed to Ino, and the blonde woman looked up at Kiba to see the man’s face break into a dazzling grin. 

“Gross,” Ino huffed and made a face. 

“Please,” Kiba shook his head, chuckling softly, “Consider it a privilege,” 

Ino rolled her eyes, and she leaned forward just as Kiba did. He reached out and cupped her cheek gently, and when their lips were inches apart, their eyes fell shut. Their mouths came together in a small, soft kiss that deepened into something a little more heated when Ino parted her lips and Kiba’s tongue moved past them. 

“Ooooh!” Tenten giggled, “Tongue and _all?”_

Kiba and Ino pulled apart, and the blonde woman reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear as she sat back down. Her cheeks were flaring red, she avoided Kiba’s eyes. The man sat back as well, licking his lips to taste Ino’s vanilla flavored lip gloss on them. Ino looked up just in time to see it, and her cheeks flushed a deeper red. 

“Spin again, moron,” the blonde woman rolled her eyes as she tried to look unbothered. 

Kiba reached down and spun the bottle again, and this time it landed on the blonde man sitting next to him. Naruto had his knees drawn up to his chest, and his arms wrapped around them, and when the bottle pointed to him, he ducked his head between his arms. Kiba laughed at the sight. 

“Hey, sexy,” Kiba nudged his best friend, and it drew out a laugh from Naruto. The blonde grinned and looked up at him. 

“Oh, yes!” Tenten clapped her hands together, “The ‘best friends to lovers’ story arch we've always wanted!” 

“Hey Kiba,” Naruto shook his head and chuckled softly, “You wanna kiss the alpha?” 

“Fuck yeah, I wanna kiss the alpha,” Kiba grinned and leaned in. 

Naruto pulled his arms away from around his knees, and he reached out and cupped Kiba’s face. Their lips came together naturally, as if they’d done this a million times. Ino whistled loudly and Tenten squealed in delight. Sasuke, who had been watching the blonde man intently, now looked away. His cheeks burned, but despite not wanting to watch anymore, his gaze found the kissing men again in less than three seconds. Sasuke’s eyes looked down at their connected lips, and his stomach fluttered when they came back up to watch Naruto’s cheeks flush. The blonde pulled away, and Sasuke watched as those beautiful blue eyes fluttered open, and his kiss-swollen lips curled into a sweet smile. The raven’s heart skipped and he looked away again. 

“That was _so_ hot,” Tenten sighed as she shook her head. 

Kiba and Naruto laughed and shifted back into their previous sitting positions. Sasuke looked up at Naruto again and instantly regretted it because the blonde was looking directly at him. Suddenly, it was the raven that wanted to avoid the other man’s eyes. Sasuke’s jaw clenched and he looked to Ino. 

“Shika, it’s your turn, idiot. Pay attention!” Ino snapped her fingers in the man’s face. 

Shikamaru’s eyes were closed, and when they fluttered open lazily, the pothead’s eyes were tinged red with a high. He slowly reached down and spun the bottle. The sound of glass spinning on hardwood rattled through the air again, and then the head came to a stop pointing at Neji. 

Shikamaru seemed flustered, and he kept his eyes cast downward, staring at the bottle. Neji lifted a brow, but he made no move to lean in. The guests looked from one man to the other. 

“One of you has to make a move,” Kiba rolled his eyes, “Let’s _go,”_

Shikamaru’s eyes finally came up to meet Neji’s intense gaze, and then he took the joint away from his lips and leaned forward. Neji’s face was composed when he leaned in as well, and when their lips touched- a fluttering, brief brush- Shikamaru’s cheeks blushed a sweet, pink color. He parted his lips, and the kiss deepened for a moment before they pulled away at the same time. Tenten and Sakura exchanged looks, and they giggled softly at the cuteness of the kiss. 

Kiba leaned over and whispered in Naruto’s ear, “Out of the two of them, who do you think would bottom?” 

Naruto grinned. He knew Neji was usually a bottom when he and Naruto fucked, but in this particular situation...Naruto turned his head and murmured softly back. 

“Shika, for sure,”

Kiba grinned and nodded, “Thought so, too,” 

Naruto grinned and clapped Shikamaru on the back when the dark haired man leaned back to his seated position next to the blonde. 

“That was cute or whatever,” Ino laughed, “Spin again, loser,” 

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and spun the bottle again. This time it landed on the pale, polite man that sat to his left. Sai smiled, and his eyes curled upwards. Shikamaru smirked, and he leaned in to kiss Sai, who looked like he had never kissed a man before. The kiss was awkward and amusing, and when Shikamaru pulled back, Sai blinked a few times and cleared his throat--still smiling in his ever so polite way. It made Naruto and Kiba laugh, and the girls in the circle giggled softly at the loss of innocence. 

Sai reached down and he spun the bottle, “I didn’t think friends could bond in this way. This is very interesting,” 

The head of the bottle landed on Sakura, and the pink haired woman looked slightly taken aback. Sasuke’s eyes narrowed, and he clenched his jaw, but he didn’t speak when Sai and Sakura both crawled forward and exchanged a small, wet kiss that lasted for a brief few seconds. Sakura leaned away quickly and settled back into her place, and Sai did the same. His hand came up and wiped his mouth, and the pink haired woman glared at him for it. Ino, who caught the action as well, burst into loud laughter. 

“Shut up, Ino-pig,” 

“Make me, Forehead!” 

“Please, don’t start this up,” Shikamaru groaned and shook his head. 

Sai reached down and spun the bottle again, and this time it landed on Sasuke. The room grew quiet, and everyone’s eyes fell onto the raven haired man who sat quietly with one knee pulled up towards his chest, resting his chin on it. Sasuke’s face was indifferent and cold, and when Sai slowly leaned forward, Sasuke simply stared the man down. Sai hesitated. Everyone was watching intently, as if Sai was approaching an angry tiger for a kiss and not a human. Sasuke’s eyes narrowed when Sai’s lips were inches away. He didn’t lean forward at all, making Sai close the gap himself. Naruto couldn’t see the kiss actually happen because Sai was directly blocking it, but in a way, the blonde was grateful for that. Sai quickly leaned away after a few seconds and got back to his spot in the circle.

There was a long silence. And then Kiba laughed, which, in turn, caused others to laugh along. There seemed to be a collective sigh of relief from the other guests. 

“That was intense for no reason,” Kiba shook his head. 

“God, that was like watching someone trying to deactivate a bomb,” Tenten laughed as she shook her head as well. 

Sasuke rolled his eyes but he didn’t make a comment. Instead he turned to look at Hinata, who sat to his right. It was her turn. When everyone else looked over at the dark haired woman, she blushed and shyly reached down to spin the bottle as well. There was a moment of the bottle spinning, and then it landed on Kiba. 

Kiba grinned at the woman, and her cheeks seemed to flare a deeper shade of pink. He leaned forward, already knowing that she wouldn’t make the first move.

“Hello, stranger,” He whispered as he looked into her eyes and cupped her cheek. 

A small, choking sound fell from her mouth, and she looked away. Kiba wasn’t fooled though. He knew she had a meek exterior, but in the bedroom, Hinata was not shy at all. He just needed to coax it out of her again. He pressed his lips to hers, and her eyes fell shut. She kissed him back hesitantly. And then Kiba’s hand fell to the back of her neck, pulling her into him, and suddenly the kiss ignited into something hot and wet-- lustful and sloppy. Hinata’s face was beet red now, but she kept up with Kiba, to everyone’s surprise. 

“Oh...wow, _Hinata..”_ Sakura chuckled, her hand coming up to her mouth in shock. Neji averted his gaze, and he grimaced. Naruto nodded approvingly. 

When they pulled apart, and Kiba sat back, Hinata’s head hung and her long black hair fell around her face like a curtain. She swallowed thickly, but she was determined to keep it moving. She reached down and spun the bottle again, and this time, the head of it pointed to Naruto. 

“Hey, Hinata,” Naruto’s voice was soft and warm when he leaned forward, and it made the woman smile back despite the fact that her face was still a deep shade of crimson and she was still flustered from the last kiss. 

She leaned forward again, and Naruto’s hand came up to gently cup her chin. He felt an intense gaze piercing into him, and his eyes flickered to the left of Hinata to see Sasuke’s dark eyes boring into his soul. Naruto’s cheeks flushed, and his stomach fluttered when their eyes met. There was a moment between them, however brief, that made Naruto feel like he was suffocating. Sasuke looked away, finally, and Naruto turned his attention back to Hinata. He kissed softly, with only a small amount of tongue and only for a brief amount of time. It was gentle and sweet-- the complete opposite of Kiba’s kiss-- and it made Hinata smile wider. They pulled away, and Naruto settled into his spot again. The blonde looked up to see Sasuke’s eyes on him again, and once again, their eyes locked. Naruto bit his lip, and again, it was Sasuke who looked away first, but not before looking down at the blonde's mouth for moment. 

“Your turn, Sasu!” Sakura squealed excitedly. 

Sasuke sighed and shook his head. He looked over at his girlfriend, and he once again wanted to ask to just go home, but he knew her answer already. Sakura gave him a reassuring smile and gestured to the bottle, as if he didn’t know where the fuck it was. Sasuke frowned and he reached down to spin the bottle. The rest of the room seemed to hold its breath. 

Sasuke looked up from the spinning bottle to look at the blonde man sitting across from him. Naruto’s eyes were following the bottle’s movement intently. Sasuke watched those blue eyes slide up, and once again there was eye contact that made Sasuke’s chest clench. He didn’t know what this emotion was, but he fucking hated feeling it every time their eyes met. The bottle stopped spinning, and it pointed to… Hinata. Sasuke looked to his right at the woman who, just a moment ago, had Naruto’s tongue in her mouth. Sasuke’s heart skipped at the thought, and he blinked, confused at the unwanted reaction. 

Hinata avoided the man’s eyes, but she leaned in when he did. Because they were sitting side by side, Naruto could see...everything. His breath caught in his throat as he watched Sasuke’s eyes fall shut, his long lashes brushing his cheekbones gracefully. When they came closer, Sasuke’s lips parted, and Hinata closed the gap between them. Their lips collided in a gentle kiss, and Naruto’s stomach dropped. He felt his cheeks burn as he watched Sasuke’s eyebrows furrow at the taste of Hinata’s lips. Naruto turned away and looked to Kiba, who seemed just as displeased at the kiss. Except Kiba’s eyes were on Hinata, and he looked...disappointed. Kiba looked down at Naruto and the blonde gave him a small, sad smile. The brown haired man reached out and tousled Naruto’s blonde locks fondly, returning a soft smile. 

Sasuke pulled away, and he and Hinata’s lips separated with a soft suction sound. His cheeks flushed a light pink, and he kept his eyes cast downward. He reached out and spun the bottle again, and Naruto and Kiba looked at the rattling glass. The head of the bottle pointed to the linebacker, and Kiba smirked. Naruto’s eyebrows shot up and his eyes flickered between the two straight men, amused. 

Sasuke’s face twisted into a sneer. Another set of lips that the blonde had kissed before him. 

“Make it good, Kiba,” Naruto whispered lightly for only his friend to hear. 

Kiba laughed softly before he crawled forward, crossing the circle. His eyes pierced into Sasuke’s, and the raven’s cheeks seemed to flush a bit darker in color. He narrowed his eyes at Kiba, disliking how much bigger than him the linebacker was.

“Let me know how you like it, pretty boy,” Kiba’s cocky smirk seemed to grow, “I can keep it sweet and soft for you,” 

Kiba gave an arrogant wink, and Sasuke’s eyebrows furrowed angrily. He didn’t like the way Kiba approached him, he didn’t like the way the man assumed the dominant role when he cupped Sasuke’s cheek, and he didn’t like the way he pulled Sasuke towards him. The raven reached up, and he gripped Kiba’s hair, _hard._ Sasuke rose onto his knees, and he tilted Kiba head back by pulling on the man’s hair. Kiba’s eyes narrowed at him, and he glared up at the raven challengingly. Sasuke’s lips curled into an icy smirk, and his dark eyes narrowed as well. 

There were a few gasps from Tenten, Sakura, and Ino. Even Neji, who was usually so composed and calm, looked slightly alarmed. Sai’s smile disappeared, and Shikamaru put his joint down. Hinata’s face was the deep shade of crimson again, and she averted her eyes from the sight. But none of their reactions were noticed. Sasuke’s eyes came up, and his dark, fierce gaze landed on the blonde man whose lips were parted in surprise and amusement. Naruto felt a rush of arousal flow through his body when Sasuke looked into his eyes. The raven’s jaw clenched for a moment, and then he glanced back down at Kiba. 

Kiba’s look of anger faded, and he smirked again. He raised his eyebrows as he whispered, “Go on, then.” 

There was a dare in his tone, and Sasuke hated it. He leaned down, and he pressed his lips to Kiba’s in a rough, hard kiss. There was no tongue, there was no tenderness, and the men didn’t close their eyes. It was both alarming and sort of... hot. When they pulled away, Kiba’s hand came up and grabbed Sasuke’s wrist. His grip was strong when he squeezed, and it sent a wave of pain through the raven. Sasuke kept his face composed as he snatched his hand away. The men settled back into their positions, and the silence that filled the room was once again intense. 

Naruto looked up at Kiba and their eyes met again. The blonde grinned and Kiba laughed at the amusement in Naruto’s eyes. 

“Was that good for you?” He whispered sarcastically for only the blonde to hear, and Naruto nodded, “Glad _one_ of us enjoyed it,” 

Sasuke watched Naruto and Kiba whisper amongst themselves, and the blonde’s laughter, though quiet, was bothersome. He huffed angrily and looked away. Sakura cleared her throat, and she reached for the bottle. 

“Okay!” she tried to sound cheerful, “My turn!” 

She spun the bottle, and it drew everyone’s attention away from Sasuke and Kiba onto the spinning bottle. The head pointed to Ino, and the blonde woman looked up at Sakura with a raised eyebrow. She saw the hesitation on Sakura’s face. 

“What’s wrong, Forehead?” Ino smirked, “Scared to kiss a girl?” 

“Not at all, Pig,” Sakura suddenly lunged forward and their lips crashed in an embrace that looked more like the girls were wrestling than kissing. 

Kiba and Naruto exchanged a look of approval, and Sasuke’s cheeks flushed as he watched the woman make out. His anger flared, and he looked away. Somehow, his gaze landed on the blonde man again. Sasuke’s eyes followed the lines and edges of Naruto’s grinning face and then trailed down to the man’s neck and chest. Naruto’s V-neck shirt exposed his collarbone, and Sasuke’s eyes lingered there for a moment longer than he would care to admit. He noticed red and purple bruises on the man's skin, and it stirred something within him. He looked up again to see that the blonde was no longer engrossed with the kissing women but staring directly at him. The blonde lifted his eyebrows questioningly, and Sasuke swallowed thickly. 

“Oh!” Tenten laughed as she looked down at the bottle pointing at her. Sasuke and Naruto looked away from each other. They hadn’t noticed that Sakura had spun the bottle again, and that the game was moving along. 

Sakura and Tenten leaned forward, both women giggling at the awkwardness of it all. Sakura’s hand came up to hold Tenten’s shoulder, and the brown haired girl blushed. The kiss turned into all out laughing and they separated quickly. 

“Alright, alright,” Tenten took the bottle and moved it closer to her before she spun it, “Let’s see who the lucky person is that gets to kiss me,” 

Neji. The calm and collected man blinked and he looked up at Tenten indifferently. Tenten was the complete opposite of calm and collected. Her cheeks flared red and she sputtered as Sakura reached out and pushed the girl towards Neji. The pink haired woman laughed at Tenten’s sudden shyness, and when Neji leaned in to kiss her, Tenten’s body went limp. 

The scene caused more laughter from the group. And it only became worse when Neji pulled away, and Tenten fell back on her haunches. Her hands came up to cover her face, and Neji smiled softly at her reaction. She looked mortified when she reached down and spun the glass again. It landed on Shikamaru now, and she was relieved. Shikamaru was the non-threatening, chilled out friend that everyone felt comfortable around, so it was only natural her nerves were quickly calmed. Shikamaru leaned in, and they kissed lightly before they both fell back into their spots. Tenten sighed in relief, and Shikamaru chuckled softly. 

Ino reached for the bottle now, and spun it quickly. The head of the bottle once again turned to Kiba, and the man grinned. Ino rolled her eyes. 

“Gross,” 

“Shut up and kiss me, blondie,” Kiba rolled his eyes and leaned in. They kissed for the second time that night, and when Ino spun the bottle again it landed on Kiba again. 

“Ten minutes in heaven!” Sakura called out, shooting the blonde woman a smug look. 

Ino huffed and got to her feet. Kiba shot Naruto a grin before he shot to his feet as well. They walked over to the closet as Tenten and Sakura laughed. Sai raised his cellphone, and he smiled at his friends. 

“I’ll time it for you guys,” He said, but his intention to be helpful was greeted with a groan from Ino. 

Kiba swung the closet door open and ushered her inside, and she stepped inside reluctantly. Sai started the timer, and Naruto shot to his feet. He walked over to the closet and began to pound on the door. 

“We can't hear anything! Could you please be louder for us?!” Naruto called out, “We want the full experience as well!” 

This drew out laughs from the others in the circle and Ino screamed at Naruto to go away. Sasuke’s lips twitched. He almost smiled. Almost. The blonde laughed, and they heard Kiba’s laughter from inside as well. Naruto turned and walked back to his spot, and then he leaned against Shikamaru. The dark haired man reached up and passed a new joint to Naruto. Naruto smiled sweetly and shook his head. Shikamaru shrugged and put the joint back in his mouth, puffing steadily. 

The timer on Sai’s phone went off, but the closet door remained closed. Tenten and Sakura looked at each other with impish expressions before they both shot to their feet and ran towards the door. Sakura swung the door open, and ino’s yelp came out loud and startled. The girls giggled, and Ino and Kiba stumbled out of the closet looking disheveled and rumpled up. There was a smug smile on Kiba’s face, and Ino’s face was the color of a tomato. Kiba held up black and white laced panties like a trophy, and Ino snatched them from him with embarrassment. Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru, and Tenten’s laughter pierced the air. Sai just looked confused.

“Don’t worry, babe,” Kiba laughed, “We can pick up where we left off later,” 

“In your dreams, fuckboy!” Ino huffed, but Kiba simply blew her a kiss, unbothered by her insult. 

When everyone came back to the circle (Kiba and Naruto whispered something to each other again and laughed), it was Neji’s turn. He spun the bottle, and it landed on Hinata. There was an awkward silence, and Ino furrowed her brows. 

“What’s the matter?! Kiss!” 

“They’re cousins, you troublesome woman,” Shikamaru’s voice was a mellow, lazy drawl.

“Oh...gross. Okay. I’ll make an exception this once. Spin again, Neji,” 

“Thank you for your generosity,” Neji muttered sarcastically as he spun again. 

It landed on Naruto, and the blonde laughed softly. 

“Just like old times,” Naruto smiled gently at the Hyuuga, and the other man smiled back. 

They leaned in and kissed, long and soft and passionate. Sasuke’s eyebrows furrowed, and this time he couldn’t bear to watch. He looked down at his shoes, wanting to avoid seeing the past lovers’ tenderness. He didn’t know why it bothered him to see it, but he wasn’t going to dwell on that emotion. 

When their lips parted, Naruto leaned away and Neji spun the bottle again. Once again, it landed on the blonde, and Sasuke’s cheeks flared as he watched the men get to their feet. 

“Ten minutes in heaven!” Ino clapped her hands excitedly and she watched as Naruto took Neji’s hand and led him to the closet.

Inside the closet, it was small. Cramped. And Neji and Naruto barely had a few inches between them. Naruto reached up and flicked on the light, to see Neji sweeping his long hair over his shoulder. Their eyes met, and Naruto laughed softly. 

“Hi,” the blonde whispered. 

“Hello, Naruto,” Neji responded. 

Their bodies pressed into each other, and Naruto reached up to stroke the other man’s cheek.

“Ten minutes,” the blonde breathed out. 

“Do you think it’ll be long enough?” Neji’s hand came down to undo the button on Naruto’s jeans. Naruto’s cheeks flushed lightly. 

“God, I hope so,” Naruto murmured, and he leaned in again. Their lips collided in a heated, urgent kiss. This was familiar for both of them. And they knew exactly where to touch, where to kiss, where to lick to get the fire ignited quickly. 

Neji slid Naruto’s pants down to his knees before his lips trailed along the blonde’s neck in soft, wet kisses that made the blonde moan softly.

“Neji, hurry,” Naruto whispered, and Neji fell to his knees in front of the blonde. 

Naruto was already hard, and it pleased Neji to see the familiar sight of Naruto’s erection dripping in pre-come. He looked up at Naruto, smiling as he parted his lips and licked the come off his tip slowly. 

“Neji, _please,_ hurry,” Naruto urged, his arousal hard to contain as he reached down and slid his fingers into the brown silk of Neji’s hair, pulling the man closer. Neji wrapped his lips around the tip, and he closed his eyes as he dipped his head and took Naruto’s cock further into his mouth. Naruto gasped, his cheeks flushing with pleasure. He smiled and his eyes fell shut as well, _“Fuck,_ I missed your mouth,” 

  
  
  


After ten minutes, Tenten swung the door of the closet open to see Naruto buttoning his jeans and Neji licking his lips. They walked out casually, and Kiba’s eyes shifted from one man to the other. 

“What happened?” Kiba asked, his grin huge, "Give us the details!"

“Later,” Naruto laughed. Neji's eyes fell to the floor, his cheeks delicately rosy now. 

When everyone sat back down again, it was Naruto’s turn. The blonde’s stomach dipped when he reached for the bottle and spun it. _Not Sasuke. Not Sasuke. Not Sasuke._ The blonde looked up at Sasuke, whose eyes were fixed on the spinning bottle. When the rattling slowed to a stop, Naruto looked back down and his heart leapt into his throat as he followed the direction of the head. 

“What...does _that_ mean?” Sai asked. 

“Umm,” Ino tilted her head to try to figure out if the head of the bottle leaned more towards Sakura or Sasuke. It was directly in the middle, “Naruto takes his pick from the two, I guess,” 

Everyone looked up at Naruto and the blonde swallowed thickly. He looked up, and he gaze flickered from the pink haired woman to the raven. Sasuke hated him… but if he chose to kiss Sakura, that hatred would only grow because of Naruto’s past mistake. _He’ll definitely think I’m after his girlfriend._ Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously, and he looked up at Sasuke again. The raven narrowed his eyes at him, and Naruto saw the anger in the man’s eyes. 

“Do whatever feels right, Alpha,” Kiba chuckled, his voice a whisper, “And if he kicks your ass, I’ll avenge you,” 

That drew out a laugh from the blonde, and it calmed his nerves slightly. Naruto slowly crawled forward, and Sasuke’s breath hitched in his throat as he watched the blonde crawl towards him. The raven swallowed thickly when Naruto’s sparkling blue eyes found his darkened gaze. Naruto watched as the raven slightly leaned away from him, and it made his stomach twist. Their lips were inches apart now.

“Don’t” Sasuke whispered breathlessly. 

Naruto’s cheeks flushed a darker shade and he stopped leaning in. They maintained eye contact, neither of them moving. There was hurt in those endless oceans, and it made Sasuke feel...something. And then, Naruto’s eyes moved in Sakura’s direction, and Sasuke’s anger flared again. The blonde began to shift towards her, and Sasuke reached up and snatched the collar of the man’s shirt. 

“Don’t you fucking _dare,”_ Sasuke hissed, pulling Naruto back towards him.

“I- What do you want me to--” Naruto stammered, his eyebrows scrunching together. Their eyes met again, and this time the blonde glared at him back, “Fine. Then fucking kiss me, you bastard,” 

Sasuke heard his blood rush in his ears, and his heart skipped again. The raven’s eyes widened when he saw Naruto lean in fast, not giving him any time to process or think. Their lips connected, and Sasuke inhaled sharply through his nose. Naruto’s hand came up to wrap around the back of Sasuke’s neck, as if he was afraid the man would pull away. But Sasuke...didn’t _want_ to. His eyes fell shut, and he was engulfed in the taste of Naruto’s mouth. The blonde’s lips were so soft, so sweet. And he kissed him so gently but so _urgently._

Sasuke’s grip tightened around Naruto’s shirt and he pulled him closer. The raven parted his lips for Naruto, and there was a second of hesitation before Naruto’s tongue brushed over his. The sensation sent sparks of electricity through the men, and Sasuke’s eyebrows furrowed as Naruto wrapped his lips around his tongue and sucked. The blonde’s mouth was so skilled, so good, so _hot._ It left Sasuke breathless, struggling to comprehend the emotions that sprung up from the depths of his stomach. He didn’t want it to end, didn’t want to pull away from the man who made warmth pool at the bottom of Sasuke’s belly, and waves of pleasure shoot through his core. 

Naruto pulled away first. And he sucked in a deep, shaky breath. Their breaths mixed as they both tried to climb out of the haze they had fallen into. Their eyes piercing into each other as they breathed heavily. The blonde licked his lips, and that was when Sasuke was hit in the stomach with a fist of cold, hard reality. So hard, in fact, he felt winded again. The raven quickly pulled away, shoving Naruto away at the same time. Naruto blinked in confusion at the man’s reaction, but he moved away all the same. His eyes were on the floor when he sat back in his place. 

“Well..." Ino cleared her throat. 

Sasuke looked up, his eyes scanning the people gathered around him. He had momentarily forgotten they existed. Tenten was fanning herself. Sakura was looking up at him curiously. Kiba was chuckling softly. 

Naruto scratched the back of his head, his gaze downcast. Kiba nudged him and pointed to the bottle. The blonde blinked, and then he reached down and spun the bottle again. There was silence, and then the top pointed at Sasuke again. The raven and blonde looked up at each other again, both of them looking wary now. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sasuke smelled like incense-- a warm blend of a sandalwood and floral scents tinged with a hint of spice that made Naruto want to bury his face into the man’s chest and inhale deeply. They were pressed up against each other, neither of them speaking. The closet was too small for both men, and there was barely any breathing room. They stood completely still, both of them quiet and avoiding the other’s eyes. Ino had locked the closet door after fifteen minutes of the party guests struggling to get both men inside. 

Naruto stared at Sasuke’s neck, his eyes fixated on the apple in the man’s throat. He liked the way it moved when the raven swallowed. He could feel Sasuke’s breath on his face, warm and soft. The air between them became warm really quickly. Sasuke’s body was solid, and his body heat was intense. Naruto swallowed thickly, his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to focus on everything but the fact that their hips were so close together. 

Naruto’s eyes slowly slid up the man’s neck, and onto his lips. He thought back to their kiss in the living room, and instantly regretted it because his body flushed with an intense heat. Naruto quickly swiveled his hips, angling his crotch away from Sasuke. The blonde looked further up, hoping to stop the thoughts of the kiss. He stared at Sasuke’s nose instead, and then his eyes slowly moved up from there. 

Sasuke’s dark, angry glare felt like it pierced right through Naruto’s being. His breath caught in his throat, and he tried to lean away. They stared at each other, neither of them looking away.

“Breathe, dumbass,” Sasuke murmured. 

A rushed breath fell from the blonde’s lips and his cheeks burned with a fresh round of embarrassment. Naruto’s eyebrows furrowed at the insult. 

“I was-” 

“Why are you talking?” Sasuke snapped, his glare darkened. 

“Sorr--” Naruto stopped himself before he instinctively apologized. He blinked. Why was he apologizing?! He narrowed his eyes at the raven, “You’re a jerk,” 

“And you’re annoying. Stop looking at me, dobe,” 

“I--” Naruto blinked in shock, “What the fuck is your problem?” 

Sasuke sneered, “You’re loud, and you’re obnoxious, and you looked me in the eye while you fucking groped my girlfriend. And on top of all of that, you fucking kissed me. I have a lot of problems, and they all seem to involve _you,”_

Sasuke’s words fell out of his mouth like venom and the blonde pressed up against the wall behind his back, trying to put distance between them. 

“I didn’t know she was--” Naruto’s words fumbled under the raven’s intense eye contact, “I’m sorry, I wasn’t--” The blonde had to physically turn his head away because now, breathing felt difficult, “I didn’t even want her,” 

Sasuke didn't seem to care about what Naruto was saying. He continued to glare at him, his cold demeanor ever present. This was overwhelming for Naruto. Sasuke’s anger. Sasuke's body heat. Sasuke’s breath. Sasuke’s eyes. This small, cramped closet that felt like it was slowly getting smaller. It was too much, and Naruto couldn’t fucking comprehend the emotions that the situation was bringing out in him. The blonde turned to the door, and he pounded on it. 

“Let me out!” He called, "I'm done with this!" 

Sasuke scoffed and rolled his eyes. 

“Hey!” Naruto shouted, banging his fist more urgently. 

“Stop being a pussy about it and make out!” Ino called back, and there were feminine giggles that sounded from the other side of the door. 

Naruto’s cheeks flushed with anger, and he felt his anxiety rise in his stomach. He drew in a deep, shaky breath and pounded the door again, “Let us out!” 

Sasuke must have felt bad for him now, because the raven reached up and put his hand on the blonde’s shoulder. His voice wasn't as angry when he spoke again “Take a breath. Seven more minutes,” 

Naruto blinked, stunned by the man’s shift in energy. He looked over at the raven, and their eyes met again. Sasuke’s hand was warm and gentle on Naruto’s shoulder and it made the blonde’s heartbeat hammer in his ears. This was not calming. This was the opposite of calming. The look on Naruto’s face must have been alarming because Sasuke’s face scrunched with worry. 

“Are you--” He blinked at Naruto. There was concern in his voice now as his other hand came up to grab the man’s elbow, as if preparing to catch or steady him, “Are you okay? Are you going to faint?” 

_If you keep touching me, yes._

Naruto opened his mouth, but all that came out was a sound that was incoherent, and that made the raven’s eyes widen slightly. Naruto nodded his head quickly, but his cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red with humiliation and the nod was not reassuring at all. 

“I’m okay,” The blonde managed to choke out before he looked away again. How does he keep managing to embarrass himself in front of this man? _I swear I am not this fucking pathetic around other people!_ Naruto drew in a deep breath, but it only dragged in more of the raven's scent into his system, and he felt a bit more dazed. It was intoxicating, and it brought a wave of arousal through him again. _What. The. Fuck._

“Six minutes,” Sasuke murmured quietly to himself, and his eyes roamed the closet absentmindedly now. He pulled his hands away from Naruto and tucked them into his pockets. 

They were silent for a while. Sasuke listened to Naruto’s breathing gradually become more even, and it relieved him. He had no idea what he would have done if the idiot passed out on him. The raven sighed deeply, and he felt Naruto shudder against him at the sensation of Sasuke’s breath hitting his skin that heavily. The blonde tried to move away, and his body shifted. Sasuke’s cheeks flushed. Naruto gulped audibly. 

“Are you…?” Sasuke looked down at Naruto’s crotch, before he quickly looked up at the blonde with a look of confusion and second-hand embarrassment. 

“Please,” Naruto’s voice was a whisper as he begged the universe for mercy, and his hands came up to cover his face, “Please, fucking end me _now,”_

Sasuke grimaced and shook his head. He almost felt bad for the blonde man. 

“It’s fine,” Sasuke whispered gently, “Don’t worry about it,” 

He watched the tips of Naruto’s ears turn pink. Sasuke's words, although kind of sweet and well intentioned, only made Naruto want to jump off the nearest cliff. Naruto pulled his hands away from his face, and he turned to pound the door of the closet again, “If one of you doesn’t unlock this fucking door, I’m going to break it down. You have ten seconds, and I fucking mean it!” 

Sasuke looked away. He didn't mean to make the blonde feel that bad, but he didn't say anything. He hoped Naruto _would_ break the door down, because he was sick of this shit, too. Sasuke glanced down at his watch. Three more minutes. 

“INO, OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!” Naruto shouted, and he punched the door hard enough for it to shake violently, but not quite break through it, yet. 

There was a soft clicking noise, and the door flew open. Naruto stormed out, and he grabbed his jacket that had been tossed on the sofa. He looked around the room. 

“Where’s Kiba?!” 

Tenten pointed to the staircase, and Naruto quickly rushed up the stairs. 

“Kiba!” He called out, and he heard Kiba’s laughter and muffled voice from behind a closed door. He twisted the door knob and walked in to see Kiba and Hinata tangled up on someone’s bed. Kiba looked up, took one look at Naruto’s face, and shot up to his feet. 

“You good, Alpha?” 

“Take me home, Kiba,” Naruto whispered, his eyes fell shut and he reached up to rub his forehead, “I just wanna go home,” 

“Okay, say less,” Kiba reached for his shirt and he shot Hinata an apologetic smirk, “Sorry, baby. Bros first,” 

Hinata’s cheeks flushed, and she looked both hurt and angry, but she didn’t speak. Naruto turned and walked out of the room, and Kiba pulled his shirt on as he followed him out. 

“Did somethin' happen in that closet? Did he do somethin' to you? Tell me now so I can go rip his dick off while we're still here,” Kiba asked as they walked out of the house and approached the car. 

“He didn’t do anything,” Naruto sighed and shook his head. His chest ached, “He didn’t do anything at all,”


End file.
